


Right Handed (red) Camellia

by MidnightSun92



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Awkward Flirting, Bad Jokes, Blow Jobs, Bottom Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Boys Kissing, Cats, Computer Programming, Creampie, Dirty Jokes, F/M, Feelings, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Frottage, Glasses, Kidnapping, M/M, MI6 Agents, Stabbing, Switching, Tattoos, Top Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:41:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 141,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25625332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightSun92/pseuds/MidnightSun92
Summary: Single once more, friends gone, and lonely with nothing better to do than work on computers and play with his cat, Hiccup accepted his fate of being alone for the rest of his life until a new flower shop opened up in Berk. Just in time for Mother's day. The owner, new to the island with a hidden past, squirms his way into Hiccup's life in a way that he couldn't predict.
Relationships: Dagur the Deranged/Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So... Here we are. Finally after so long. Yes, this is a multichapter, but I didnt want to put it on here until I had already finished it. I didn't want to put it up unless I was sure this was something I would follow through and not lose interest in it by any lack of comments and kudos. I wanted to make sure this was something I truly wanted to do and now, here you go. I hope you enjoy it, feel free to leave a comment and kudos.
> 
> Side note: in the Victorian era, when a flower is given to someone with their right hand, it means yes. Red Camellia means You’re a Flame in My Heart.

Chapter 1

Well... shit, Hiccup thought when he saw the long line flowing out the door of the flower shop, mostly men looking for the perfect bougette for their mothers or wives on Mother's Day. The display case outside and along the shop's front windows were empty and he just knew the pickings were slimming with each costumer. He should have done his shopping for his mother earlier in the week. Well... he had, but the flowers were a last minute idea for his father to give to his wife since the man completely spaced out one of the most important days of Hiccup's mother's life. Even then, Hiccup should have gone to the shop as soon as it opened this morning, but he loved his sleep and was going to sleep in as long as possible until it was time to head over to his parents' home to celebrate his mother's special day.

Also, his dad called him an hour ago for an emergency flower shopping. It was close to eleven now and his mom was expecting him there in the next fifteen minutes. Knowing there was no chance on getting a decent sized boquette, Hiccup sighed and ran a hand through auburn locks as he turned back to his bike, a slight limp in his step, where his three legged cat was waiting for him in the basket attached to the handlebars. Maybe if he was quick he could snag some flowers from his parents' neighbor's yard and pretend he spent a pretty penny for them. Ah, his mother wouldn't believe him. The sleek black cat meowed around a yawn as Hiccup sat down on his bike and kicked back the stand, stretching from where it laid.

Hiccup adjusted his dark green rimmed glasses and began to pedal his way to his parents' house, a bit forlornly. His gray button up shirt flapped behind him as he rode and hoped his mother enjoyed his 'MOM'S #1 FAN' shirt he had made. He took a quick glance behind him to make sure the wrapped gift for his mom in the second, bigger basket behind his seat was still there and relaxed a bit when he saw the light blue wrapper. Maybe he could give it to his father to give to mom, but she would probably know and give dad an ear full for forgetting such an important day. No one forgot father's day (more like he wouldn't let anyone forget about father's day).

Hiccup turned a corner away from the shopping center of Berk and had to do a double take when he saw a chalkboard close to the sidewalk that had the words 'Grand Opening' written on it in curly, cursive letters just outside a shop. A flower shop. A flower shop that was mostly empty and full of fresh flowers yet to be taken. Hiccup had to rub his eyes underneath his glasses to make sure he wasn't seeing things and felt his heart thump in his chest in relief at his luck. He parked his bike after checking it really was open before making his way inside the store, the third shop in strip mall. A string of small bells above the door chimed as the door opened and Hiccup was immediately hit with the fragrance of many different flowers assaulting his sensitive nose, the beginning of a headache forming from the multiple smells.

"Welcome to Dagur's Flower Boutique, anything in particular you looking for?" a smooth boyish voice asked kindly to the side of Hiccup, startling him.

Hiccup jerked towards the voice and immediately felt his cheeks heat up, eyebrows rising and eyes widening. The man behind the checkout counter looked about Hiccup's age if not a few years older with brilliant red hair spiked up on top and shaved on the sides. The stranger's eyes were an emerald green and the tip of his nose tipped down some, his jaw well defined and covered in stubble. He was a few inches shorter than Hiccup, but his body was filled out in finely developed muscles; very much unlike Hiccup's lanky tall form. The redhead was wearing a plain black tshirt, a pair of dark blue jeans, simple black work boots, and a light green apron tied around his waste; name tag on the left side of his shirt which read Dagur. Huh, must be the owner. Due to the short sleeves, Hiccup was able to see that the redhead had tattoo sleeves all in black with only a few splashes of color here and there.

"Uuuh," was all Hiccup could say as his brain short-circuited, something that hadn't happened in a long time.

This Dagur's smile dipped some at the unintelligent answer, raising an eyebrow slightly in concern. "Out of your depth I'm guessing?"

Hiccup nodded only because his mouth didn't want to work.

The smile was back in full force with some humor and Dagur nodded in understanding. "Considering what day it is, I'm guessing this is for the most important woman in your life, your mom?" 

"Uh, yeah... well, more like for my dad to give to mom since he forgot." Hiccup shrugged as if saying 'whatcha gonna do?' with a nervous chuckle.

The redhead smirked with a chuckle, the sound sending shivers down Hiccup's spine. "What's her favorite flowers?"

"White lilies, but if I were to get those she would know they were from me and Dad will never hear the end of it. So maybe just some roses, but a large bouquet of them." Hiccup gave Dagur a small questioning glance as if asking if that was alright and let out a sigh of relief when the other nodded.

"Of course. Want to add something else to it or will it be just the roses?"

"Just the roses." Hiccup smiled lightly in appreciation just as another patron walked in with their toddler daughter in tow. "And thank you."

"No problem. Do you want them in a vase?"

He almost said yes, but again, his mother would know it was him and shook his head. "Just the roses. Oh, uh, but could you wrap them in plastic? I'm riding my bike and I don't want to ruin them."

"Yes sir. Just give me a minute and I'll be right back." Dagur stepped out from behind the counter to walk towards the back of the store where the fridges were at and Hiccup's eyes followed, running down the redhead's back to his shapely jean clad tush.

He quickly turned away as his cheeks flushed brightly once more and covered his mouth with his right hand, feeling ashamed for staring at a stranger like that. A handsome one, but still a stranger nonetheless. The guy probably wasn't even gay and it was impolite to stare, especially at another's rear. He glanced to the side to see the other patron looking at him with furrowed brows and questioning eyes, probably wondering about Hiccup's behavior, but he ignored the man with the child to read the cards on a small turning stand full of them. He was on the fifth one when Dagur came back with a huge bouquet of beautiful red roses tied together with a black ribbon and wrapped in a protective plastic sheeth.

"Here you are," the redhead says as he hands it to Hiccup with a grin. "Hope your mother enjoys it and believes it's from your father."

"Me too," he replies as he takes it, smiling in return. Their hands brush briefly in the exchange and goosebumps form along his arms. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Have a nice day."

"You too." 

Hiccup steps aside to allow the next patron to go up to the counter and Dagur's attention was now on the newcomer, asking the same questions he had asked Hiccup. But his smile seemed more for show now, not as warm or humorous as it was with him. Hiccup mentally shook his head as he exited the shop in disbelief at that train of thought; better kill the hope now before he winds up disappointed. Besides, he wasn't really looking to date anyone any time soon.

He gets back on his bike before taking one more look inside. Dagur's upper body is barely peeking through the window, but he must have felt Hiccup's gaze because he was soon glancing over towards him and smiling while waving goodbye. Hiccup returns it and rides off, a smile climbing up his own face that didn't fade the whole way to his parents' home.

...

Dagur had to be new to Berk. Just had to be. No one on this little, some times forgotten, island had red hair quite like that and yet Hiccup never saw him out and about. The new flower shop had just opened the day before Mother's Day a week ago and Dagur had to have moved here at least a month before that, but Hiccup had never seen him before then. It wasn't like he was actively looking for the guy while in town, but with such bright hair the stranger would stand out easily. It could easily be explained that Dagur just went around town at different times than Hiccup or didn't get out much at all. But he couldn't see the redhead as being an unsociable person, like himself, and wondered what Dagur did during his free time. What areas of the town he went to during his time off and things like that.

It was then Hiccup realized how often he was thinking about the redhead and didn't know why. Maybe because it was the first newcomer to move to Berk in the past fifteen years or perhaps it was because the flower shop was the newest thing in the past ten. Whatever it was, this Dagur had drilled himself into Hiccup's brain and he saw no sign of forgetting about him any time soon. Did he even want to for that matter? Why should it matter in the first place? Dagur was a stranger and that was it, nothing else.

So why did it drive him crazy wanting to know why Dagur moved here in the first place? What was his favorite color? What did those intricate tattoos on his arms mean? Did he have any family in Berk? What's his favorite movie, song, food? Would... would Dagur like a friendship with Hiccup? He hadn't been back to the flower shop since then, finding no reason to go back... but wouldn't Dagur be a reason to go back? To ask the stranger if he wanted to be his friend? Even Hiccup found that that would have been rather stranger and a little off putting if he had. At least to him. Who knows, maybe the redhead would think differently and accept the invitation to friendship.

Hiccup made a sound of irritation as he shocked himself once more while trying to fix one of his costumer's laptop; now was not the time to get distracted. The thing was old as hell and needed to be thrown out, but the owner of it loved it so much since their significant other had given it to him years ago as a present before they died. The blocky thing held sentimental value and Hiccup would do his best to keep it running for a little while longer. A few more wires and chips and a better fan, it should be as good as new... sort of. He should be done in another hour tops if there were no interruptions.

He was twenty minutes into it when his phone went off, the generic jingle the phone came with that announced someone who wasn't family, friends, or one of his regular costumers was calling. He sat there for a few rings, contemplating if he should answer it, before pushing the green button on the last ring and putting it on speaker so he could continue working.

"Hello?" Hiccup mentally berated himself for not answering with his typical 'Haddock's computer services, how may I help you?' and hoped the person on the other line wasn't a client or potential costumer. It was unprofessional of him to pick up his phone like that.

"Heya freckles! It's me, flower shop guy!" a familiar voice answered.

Flower shop guy? He paused in his work as he the only person he could think of who could be considered the flower shop guy would be... "Dagur?"

"Oh ho, you remembered my name!" he chuckled.

"Wait, how did you get my number?" Hiccup didn't remember giving it or writing it down. It could be possible that one of his clients gave the redhead it if Dagur was looking for someone to fix a computer or laptop. But then how would Dagur know that he was the computer guy, Hiccup never gave him a name. He got his answer when there was loud, but muffled meow followed by purring on the other end of the phone. "Toothless?"

"Your cat would not stop yowling at the door until I opened it," Dagur replied in annoyance, but then he chuckled and the purring amped up. "Funny name for a cat who has all their teeth..."

"It started off as a joke that stuck. H-how do you know he's my cat?" Hiccup had left him out on the bike that day and the furry critter was curled up in a ball, hidden from view.

"Not very many three legged black cats around here who stick to their owners like glue... mostly." Dagur cooed at Toothless and Hiccup imagined what the redhead could possibly be doing right now with his cat. "He's very friendly."

"Oh, uh not overtly so, which means he must like you enough... you've seen me around town?" He could not help but ask and blushed at sounding like a hopeful girl talking to her crush.

"Kinda hard not to when there's a cat standing up in a basket on a bicycle. It's rather adorable. But I always seem to just miss you whenever I try to go over and talk to you."

"Oh, ok." That explained a few things, but surely Hiccup would have seen him around town as well. He placed the laptop aside and took the phone off speaker, placing it against his ear as he stood up to go to his kitchen to grab a bottle of water from his fridge.

"Did your mom like her flowers?" Dagur asked after a beat of silence. "Did she assume anything?"

Hiccup was thrown for a loop at the sudden question that it took him a second to answer, amazed that Dagur remembered. "I think she did, but I think she was just happy that dad remembered even though it was last minute and that she got a large bouquet of flowers. She loved them."

"Good, good, been wanting to make sure it was up to standards." There was a crackling sound that came out from the earpiece of him letting out a huff of breath.

"Do this with all your customers?" Ones who left their numbers that is? He smiled a tiny bit at his tease, waiting for the fumbling answer that it was mostly to see if the flowers were up to snuff.

"Only the cute ones," was the reply instead, making Hiccup gape. Before he could stumble out his own reply, the redhead continued, "That wasn't the reason I was actually calling. I have some old flowers that I need to get rid of before they die and I don't want to have to throw them away, so I was wondering if you would like them?"

It took a couple of tries to get his mouth to work and Hiccup grimaced when he was able to form some, but not in a calmly manner. "I-I I'm not one for flowers... but why not put them on sale? Someone's gonna need some last minute gift ideas or an inexpensive apology." He chuckled nervously and wondered why that comment rattled him so.

"Tried already. Nobody wants them. They're the least popular flowers I have in store right now and they need a home before they wilt."

"Why don't you keep them then?"

"Don't got the room and despite my love for the plants, the last thing I want to see or smell is more flowers after work. Kinda like how you love hot dogs but don't want to know how it's made, right?"

No. That didn't make any sense, the last bit at least. "I don't like hot dogs." Dammit, he should just shut up and take the damn flowers. 

"Oh, ok... do you want the flowers though? I'll add in a vase for them for free." His tone was hopeful and pleading and Hiccup caved.

"Ok, ok fine. I'll take them." Hiccup hoped he hadn't sound too irritated.

"Awesome! I'll keep them safe until you pick them up. Until then, I'll count the minutes 'til I see your lovely face again. Tata," there was the sound of the redhead kissing the phone before the dial tone filled his ear.

Hiccup stood there a moment with the phone still up to his ear, heart drumming away in his chest. He knew Dagur was just playing around, but it still made the heat in his stomach rise while butterflies recked havoc along side it. He hadn't known he had been holding his breath until the need to breathe forced him to suck in a deep bout of air and he finally lowered the cell away from his head, staring at it like it was going to answer all the questions cluttering his brain. Legs feeling like jello, Hiccup made his way back to his couch and sat down, staring at the laptop on the coffee table. Going back to work on it now would be useless as he would no longer be able to focus on it thanks to Dagur and his flirtious teasing. He needed a break, he had been working on several different computer these past few hours and he hadn't had anything to eat yet. A quick bike ride to his favorite deli should clear up his mind enough.

...

"You got to be kidding me," Hiccup grumbled after stepping inside the deli, spotting the man he had been talking to not even an hour ago. The redhead had ordered before Hiccup walked in and was grabbing the paper bag that held his sandwich.

Upon turning around, most likely to head back to the flower shop, Dagur spotted him and smiled widely with a hint of confusion, walking over towards him. "Well hello freckles, fancy meeting you here."

"Hiccup."

"Hm?"

"My name is Hiccup, not freckles," Hiccup replied quietly, looking straight ahead so he wouldn't have to stare at the redhead, who was standing so close to him now.

"Hiccup? That's... an odd name." Surprisingly, the redhead didn't laugh, but he did look amused when Hiccup dared a glance his way. "Family thing or Viking thing?"

"Both." He didn't further explain on the reasons, both silly to him, as Dagur was still just a stranger. But he found that he shouldn't have glanced at the redhead because now his gaze was stuck on the man and he couldn't look away. The deli had more natural light shining in through the windows than the flower shop had, mostly due to the shelves of potted plants taking refuge in front of it, and Dagur's eyes shone more brightly and Hiccup could see the hint of pock marks on his cheeks. 

"What are you doing after you eat?" Dagur asked as he took a step forward, causing Hiccup to step forward as well and realize it was his turn to order.

"Back to work," he replied before asking the worker for a simple turkey club sandwich with fries. He stood at the cash register as he waited for his food, Dagur sticking next to him the whole time.

"What do you do?"

"Fix computers, well, anything electronic I fix, but computers is what I'm best at and what people need done most of the time." Hiccup took his food when it was done and thanked the lady as he paid. He stepped aside so he wouldn't hold up the line or cause a traffic jam.

"Ah a computer guy," Dagur appeared to be impressed. "Nice. Do you think your boss will allow you a few more minutes to pick up the flowers? Since we're just around the corner of my shop."

"I don't know, let me ask him." He gave a teasing grin as Dagur blanched, the auburn wondering where this sudden confidence came from, and not expecting Hiccup to pull out his phone and bring it to his ear. But Hiccup didn't press any buttons and the screen stayed black. "Do you mind if I take a longer break to pick up some flowers?" He then switched it to his other ear and deepened his voice while given it an English drawl, face becoming a snobbish scowl. "I suppose so as long as you don't dilly dally." Back to the other ear. "Of course, I'll be back on my apartment's couch to fix my last computer of the day in no time." He put his phone back into his coat pocket and watched Dagur's look of disbelief turn into one of humor.

"It would have been easier to say you're the boss instead of making a show out of it," the redhead snickered, moving along side him when Hiccup started towards the door. 

"But where's the fun in that?" He held the door open for the redhead, receiving a thank you in return.

"So what does a guy like you do for fun around here?" Dagur asked after a short moment of silence, side stepping a young girl too engaged in her phone.

"I'm probably the wrong guy to ask if you're looking for suggestions on what's considered fun around here," Hiccup answered, adjusting his glasses while keeping an eye out for Toothless. The cat hadn't gone back to the apartment before he left and he hadn't stuck around with Dagur; maybe the furry creature was still at the shop. "For me, I rather stick indoors with a cup of coffee drowning in creamer and sugar and a good book. Possibly order some Italian food if I feel like going wild. Parties and stuff like that are not my thing." He never really quite understood the appeal of it, but then again, he was an introvert and being around people tend to tire him out quickly. And make him claustrophobic. And anxious. Probably why he only had a few friends that stuck around.

Dagur didn't seem all that surprised by his answers and looked like he agreed with him on some level. But unlike him, the redhead probably needed to be around people. "Not a social butterfly, are you?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Nope. Being around people for too long freak me out. I don't know why, I just start to get really anxious and get this feeling something's about to go wrong. Nothing ever really does, but I hate the feeling." They turned the corner and Hiccup spotted the flower shop nestled between a gift shop and a craft store. Toothless was inside, laying down on the windowsill in the sun, a potted plant pushed up against another.

"While I like my alone time, I like being around others. I like talking to random people, it gives me energy better than a cup of coffee." Dagur shrugged and opened the shop's door after unlocking it and held it open for Hiccup this time, the auburn smiling kindly and thanking him. The redhead took the off to lunch sign from the door and walked to his station behind the counter where a small bouquet of flowers of various dark colors sat in a glass vase. "So, what do you think?" 

Hiccup looked at the flowers as Toothless scampered over to him, meowing loudly for attention, and wondered how could anyone not want these. They were mostly shades of browns with a few other colors of various tones here and there, but they were beautiful. And Dagur must have lied because they looked fresh, well fresher than what he had described, as if they hadn't just been picked. Hiccup looked up at Dagur with a raised eyebrow and a disbelieving grin, receiving a questioning one in return. He let out a giggle before grabbing the vase and answered, "I think they'll brighten up my place for a while before they die."

Dagur smiled brilliantly. "Good! Not very many people want these kinds of flower during the summer, mostly wanting something more brighter and loud. Summer in a pot I guess." He bent down to pick up Toothless, who had gone to him for affection when Hiccup wouldn't give it, and held him in one arm while scratching the cat's chin with his free hand. "Do you go out at all for any summer activities?"

"Only when my friends drag me out or I have to because of my parents. My father's the mayor," Hiccup shrugged and added the last part for Dagur's sake. "Gotta look like a happy family in front of the press."

"Are you not?" the redhead asked with concern, eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"We are, don't get me wrong. My parents are amazing, sometimes a bit pushy or nosy about certain things. But when it comes to certain functions where I'm expected to come and don't, the press start speculating and making up theories of why I'm not there and the people of Berk love gossip and tend to take things out of context. It's worse if I don't have a particular reason other than I didn't feel like going." 

Dagur chuckled and gave him a pitying grin, making Hiccup glare with no heat in return. "You just have it so hard don't you?"

"You have no idea. The parties, the functions, unwanted attention, misleading gossip. It's all so annoying." He forced a posh tone from his voice as he spoke, joking around even though it truly was annoying. He grinned when Dagur laughed and felt heat rise to his cheeks, hoping it wasn't noticeable. 

"To tell the truth, you don't act like a mayor's son. And believe me, I've been around several of them and they've left a bad taste in my mouth." Dagur placed Toothless on the counter and leaned forward on it, mouth quirked up into one of interest.

"My father wasn't one to spoil me. He allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them, a bit hard on me to help man me up more since I was rather small and gave me a better chance on what it would be like to live out on my own." He had disappointed his dad quite a bit growing up, his fishbone of a body and different way of thinking mostly. His younger teenage years were a bit hard with his dad, but with the help of his mom and his patience, their relationship has gotten steadily better over time. His mom, though... "My mom spoiled me, not with objects but with motherly affection. A bit too much at times. Made me a target for bullying in school, more so than my witty comebacks did."

"I can totally see a much younger you talking smack to some piggish boy, it's adorable," Dagur snickered, smile widening when Hiccup flushed brightly and gaped at being called adorable. "But I feel your pain, suffered the same thing with my step mom. Always needing to prove that she loved me, but was a bit extreme with it some times. Bless her heart." His face softened as he spoke of her, obviously he loved her as well and it made Hiccup soften as well.

"What about you? You don't really seem like a flower guy... no offense."

Dagur took the comment with a grin and replied, "I wasn't really, but I found it's the one thing I'm actually good at. I originally wanted to be a detective growing up, but when I found all the things that went in to it and everything, I decided plants were more agreeable and did some business classes in college before finally opening up this place. It's also a nice reminder of my mom, she owned her own flower shop before she died and taught me everything she knew. Always told me I had a knack for color and decorative arrangements." He went quiet for a moment, Hiccup allowing him this quick reprieve to think of his mother, before Dagur smiled up at him though it wasn't as bright as before. The redhead's stomach growled, reminding them the reason they had gone out in the first place.

They snickered and Hiccup put the flowers back down on the counter so he could grab his bag, wondering if he should stick around here and eat with the other or wait until he got back home. Dagur made the decision for him by asking him what he wanted to drink, to which Hiccup asked for water. Dagur went to the back of the store before coming back out moments later with a cup of water, handing it to him. Hiccup nodded his thanks and took a large gulp, just now realizing how thirsty he was. There was very little talk afterwards as they ate, sometimes commenting on how the deli did a good job on their sandwich or asked how the other's food was. Dagur was done first, having devoured his quickly, and hummed in appreciation.

"I need to start going there more often," Dagur said as he patted his stomach. 

Hiccup chuckled with mirth as he finished up, drinking the last of his water. Silence fell upon them and an aura of awkwardness filled the space around them. Well, at least to Hiccup. Unsure on what to talk about now, Hiccup looked down at his wristwatch and was shocked to see an hour had passed since he left his apartment. He needed to head back and finish that laptop before a sense of laziness settled in, making him lose his desire to work.

"Back to work?" Dagur guessed with a hint of disappointment.

Hiccup didn't know why, but the knowledge of knowing that Dagur didn't want him to go yet pleased him. "Yup. Computer don't fix themselves."

"Boo," Dagur voiced his displeasure with that single word, making Hiccup grin lightly. "Well, I got your number now so maybe I'll bother you through texting." He grinned widely and winked, starting butterflies in Hiccup's stomach.

"If you want. Doesn't mean I'll answer right away."

"I'm fine with that. As long as you reply eventually."

"Eventually." Hiccup chuckled. "Maybe I'll see you around some time."

"Hopefully. I like spending time with you, you're a pretty cool person." Dagur smirked as his eyes lit up.

Dagur had to stop smirking, they did awful things to Hiccup's stomach and made him all excited. "I think you're a pretty cool guy too. Feel free to text me any time."

"Will do."

"See you around." Hiccup left his sandwich bag on the counter, forgetting about it, and grabbed the vase. Toothless must have known he was about to leave and jumped down from the counter, heading towards the door.

"Hopefully, wouldn't mind seeing your face more often." The redhead's smirk became more mischievous and Hiccup gaped.

"Eh-uh, y-yeah, me too." Hiccup had taken a couple of steps backwards towards the door, bumping into a shelf full of potted flowers. It rattled, but thankfully nothing fell. His hip was going to bruise though.

Dagur raised a brow at the scene, taking amused joy in it, and Hiccup quickly exited; almost tripping on his feet. Toothless was by his side, keeping up with him as he powered walked back to his apartment, forgetting about his bike back at the deli. It wasn't like anyone would steal it and if someone did, he could afford another one. Or at least refurbish one. People made way for him as he passed by, most likely looking back at him with curious glances, and before he knew it he was back home. He opened the front door with shaky hands and made sure the door shut behind him before taking the stairs to the second floor. The building only had two floors with eight one bedroom apartments that were recently refurbished before Hiccup had moved in on each floor, nestled close to the bluff. His place may be small, but it was more decent than most and had all the essentials he needed. 

He stopped at his door, a brightly colored metal slab, and unlocked it. Toothless shot in as soon as it opened, heading straight for the bathroom where the litter box resided, and Hiccup closed the door with a sigh, leaning against it. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, either from the quick walk or from what had transpired with Dagur. Either way, it didn't matter right now. What he needed to do was focus on the laptop and finish it quickly so he could move on to the next project. Taking a moment to clear his thoughts and calm down, Hiccup toed off his shoes and moved into the kitchen to sit the flowers on the small two person table just outside it. 

He smiled lightly down at them and took a moment to admire them. They really were beautiful with their rich chocolaty and various colored petals, a light fragrance permating from them and filling his apartment. After a moment, he finished entering the kitchen to get a cup of water before sitting back down on the couch, grabbing the laptop and tools after placing his cup on the coffee table. It started out fine, his mind staying on his work, but then his phone dinged a notification that he had text. He jumped at the noise and the vibration in his pants' pocket, quickly pulling it out and almost dropping it as he unlocked it. His heart sped up once more when he saw it was Dagur. It only showed an unrecognizable number, but he knew it was the redhead.

*How's the flowers? Make your gloomy apartment better?*A laughing emoji was added at the end of it. 

Full words and no abbreviations, good. Hiccup couldn't stand those kind of texts when people would switch out words for numbers or purposely misspell to shorten the message. He smiled down at the text as he typed back.

*I haven't destroyed them yet if that's what you mean and my apartment isn't gloomy.*-H. Hiccup put in an eye roll emoji.

*Send me a pick then I'll believe you.*-D 

*The flowers I mean.*-D

Hiccup shook his head and set the laptop aside so he could stand back up and walk back to the table, taking a picture. He almost sent it before deciding to take another of his living room; he knew Dagur didn't mean just the flowers. Might as well set him straight. He sent the pics and didn't have to wait long for a reply.

*Look good so far*-D 

*Your place looks nice, definitely better than my small space above the shop*-D

*Beats having to pay extra for another place to live*-D

*Why didn't you rent a better place then? There's enough abandoned shops around that probably have better attached living spaces*-H

*Only place I could afford right now*-D

*Maybe when the shop does better I'll rent an apartment and rent out the living space above the shop*-D 

*It's not so bad tho, just a little cramped*-D

Hiccup stood there a second, wondering if it would be polite to ask before deciding to just do it. It wouldn't hurt to just ask.

*Why did you move to Berk? If you don't mind me asking...*-H

*Not at all*-D

*Some personal things happened back in Bazerker Island that I'll probably go into detail later when I'm comfortable enough with you and decided I needed a change of scenery*-D

*Berk seemed perfect because of it's small population and beautiful area*-D

*And it's still a short two hour boat ride away from my parents so I can still visit them whenever*-D

*And some of my relatives used to live here back in the day*-D

*Well Berk is certainly a change of scenery*-H

*Who were your relatives?*-H

*Uncle Haggard and his wife Machel Stoop*-D

Hiccup took a moment to try and remember those names. The last name seemed familiar, but Haggard and Machel didn't and Hiccup wondered if they had lived in Berk long enough for others to know them before moving away. It wasn't that important to continue the thought process and he quickly pushed it aside.

*Haven't heard of them before*-H

*Eh, they didn't live there long*-D

*What are you doing tomorrow?*-D

Hiccup furrowed his eyebrows at the question and sudden change, but didn't mind it. Tomorrow he was working, but if Dagur wanted to do something with him he could give himself a free day; something he hasn't had in a while. He worried his bottom lip as he typed *Nothing for now. Why?*

A smiley emoji popped up. *Good! Wanna hang out?*-D

Hiccup chuckled and felt the excitement in the message as the butterflies in his stomach acted up again, making him feel nervous and excited at the prospect of spending more time with Dagur. The redhead was funny, witty, bold with something hidden beneath that Hiccup was curious to know. He sent his own smiley face and texted *Sure why not*-H 

*What did you have in mind?*-H

*I was thinking brunch and a proper tour around the town. I may have been here a few months but I'm still unfamiliar with it*-D

That sounded... nice, actually. Brunch and a walk around town. The weather has been mild of late, comfortable, and a walk would do him good. Work has backed up (well, he let it be backed up, having allowed himself to accept too much from his clients; saying he needed more work for rent when really it was to keep his mind distracted), keeping him in his apartment for days without proper sleep and food intake. Hiccup lost some weight, he knew from the way his pants settled low on his hips, and the bags beneath his eyes were starting to become more noticeable. His skin had lost it's healthy natural sun kissed complexion to the point people were starting to think he was sick and now he had to listen to his mother's lectures on how he should be taking better care of himself almost every other day when she called. Luckily, she didn't visit as much as Hiccup thought she would after hearing about his and Erett's breakup. Hiccup shook his head of the thought and focused back on his phone, typing a reply.

*Sure. Where did you want to go for brunch?*-H

*Why don't you pick*-D

*You were born and raised here*-D

*Right?*-D

*Yes I was. I know a place I think you would like*-H

*I'll meet you at your shop at around 10*-H

*That alright?*-H 

Hiccup added the last text, wanting to make sure the redhead knew he was asking and not demanding.

*10 it is*-D. Another smiley emoji along with a wink. 

*It's a date* felt like it was left unsaid/texted, at least to Hiccup and he felt a small amount of warmth fill him at the prospect of it. Did he want tomorrow to be a date? The flower man seemed nice and single, but the wound of breaking up with Erett seven weeks ago still felt raw and the thought of seeing someone else so soon made his stomach roll. But a friendship was something he could use right now. All his other friends, the ones he allowed into his life, were now gone, moved off the island or too busy with their own life to give Hiccup a second of their time. He had lost contact with them slowly over the years and wondered from time to time how they were doing. While he had Facebook, it wasn't the same as talking to them face to face or on the phone. He missed Astrid and Tuffnut the most from his little crowd of friends and tended to linger on their Facebook pages the longest when the feeling of loneliness became unbearable.

His phone pinged that he had a notification and saw that his phone had shut off from disuse, showing that it was from Dagur with an attached file. He unlocked it and the first thing he saw was a picture of a bouquet thanks to still being on the messenger app. The bouquet was large and spread out on a short, round, elongated basket with many white lilies and forget-me-nots, something that looked appropriate for a wedding. It was beautiful and he smiled at it before reading the message below it.

*What do you think? Doesn't look half bad if I say so myself*-D, winky emoji.

*Looks wonderful. Wedding?*-H

/Nope anniversary tomorrow. Client came in shortly after you left and just now finished it*-D

*Wanted to see what you thought before I send the pic to the happy couple*-D

Hiccup's smile grew just a bit. *I think it looks perfect*-H

*Good!*-D

*They're center pieces and I still got a couple more to finish*-D

*I'll see you tomorrow*-D

*Ok. Bye*-H

*Byebye*-D

Hiccup waited a few more minutes, or seconds more likely, to see if Dagur would send another text, but when his phone remained off with no notification sound or screen lighting up with a new message Hiccup finally turned his focus back to his work. A small amount of excitement held place within him at the prospect of seeing the redhead tomorrow and wondered, only for a moment, if his newfound friendship with Dagur would fizzle out as well. That moment was all it took, however, to dampen his spirit. He tried not to think about it, not wanting to ruin this new bout of happiness he had felt in a long while from his overdramatic brain. But what if? 

What if once Dagur became more familiar with his new home and with its' people that he drifted away from Hiccup and his introverted awkwardness? What if Dagur no longer liked Hiccup's personality and found him annoying? What if Dagur lost his patience waiting for Hiccup to open up? What if Dagur was pretending to be so kind to Hiccup in order to use him to integrate himself into Berk more easily without the many self introductions and suspicious small talk from the town's people?

Now you're overreacting, Hiccup thought to himself and ran a hand through his hair as he tried to clear his mind of such silly thoughts. But it has happened before... sort of. Hiccup had become used to people pretending to be nice to him in order to gain something from him over the years and it made it difficult to trust others. While he thought of himself as naive from time to time, trust was a hard earned thing to get from him. The only people he ever really trusted are gone and his parents, whom he doesn't see very often anymore.

It didn't help that Erett made it harder to trust someone ever again. The man was kind and playful, always teasing Hiccup's introverted-ness, but not in a mean way. The man actually liked that about him, or so he said for a time. But after a while he got tired of forcing Hiccup into social interactions and tired of Hiccup being easily put off around a group of people, no matter how small. So tired in fact that he finally called it quits and blamed it on Hiccup, telling him he was ruining Erett's social life. It took a while and one long phone call with Astrid to realize Hiccup wasn't really the only one at fault and that he and Erett just didn't fit as well as he hoped. It hurt because he really liked, loved even, the guy. A reason why it was taking so long for Hiccup to move on.

Would the same thing happen with Dagur? Would the redhead eventually tire of his unwillingness to integrate into Dagur's social life? If he even had one yet, that is. It made his mood sour and the desire to finish up his job was all but gone. He moved his tools and the laptop off the couch so he could lay down, turning on his smart TV. He chose the Hulu app to see what was on and clicked on some sort of murder documentary to pass the time. His like for watching murder mysteries, serial killer documentaries, and the like was something Erett didn't like about him as well. Well screw him and his unrealistic reality shows. And Dagur.... 

The heat in Hiccup calmed as he thought of the redhead. His teasing smile and the way he handled Toothless, the cat's fondness for Dagur enough of a sign that he must be a good guy. The cat never reacted like that before with a complete stranger and Hiccup trusted Toothless' judge of character more than his own. So the redhead couldn't be that bad if Toothless allowed him to hold him. And his smile was so warm and genuine. Just thinking about it made Hiccup grin softly to himself. He hadn't seen Dagur smile like that to anybody else and maybe it was wishful thinking, but he couldn't stop the thought process once it started. 

Mood back up, Hiccup turned the volume down but kept the the TV on for background noise and went back to work on the laptop.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gods, I just about flipped out when I thought I deleted half this chapter while trying to post it. I didn't thank fuck. I'm doing all this by phone so things get a bit... Dicey. I sadly don't have a computer... But anyways!
> 
> Some serious talks get done in this chapter over brunch.

Hiccup adjusted his glasses once more as he walked along the sidewalk to the flower shop, wondering for the sixth time if he should have forgone them and went with contacts. But he was a creature of comforts and he felt more like himself with his glasses. And this was not a date, there was no need to dress up. It felt like he told himself that more than he should have since he woke up that morning, stopping himself several times from grabbing his nicer clothes; changing several times. He finally settled on a black long sleeve shirt, a pair of washed out jeans, bright red converse, and a well worn brown jacket; it had cooled some during the night and it called for rain later in the day. He hoped it held off so he wouldn't have to ride his bike in the rain later.

He almost passed by the shop, would have if it weren't for Toothless leaving his side and truting up to the store's door, and unconsciously straightened his jacket before opening the door. There was a 'Sorry, we're closed' sign hanging on from a hooked suction cup on the glass window of door, but Dagur had told him he would keep it unlocked for him and said to just walk in when he got there. The bells chimed above him and Toothless skittered past him straight to the checkout desk where Dagur was currently sitting behind on a stool, messing around on his computer. The screen was turned away from Hiccup so he couldn't exactly see what the redhead was doing, but when Dagur began typing away on the calculator next to the keyboard, he guessed it might have something to do with finances.

"Heya Hiccup," Dagur greeted with a grin without a glance his way. "Just give me a second here to finish this last input then we can be on our way. Had a last minute buyer yesterday and didn't have time to put this in last night, had to finish up those anniversary pieces."

"Ok," Hiccup replied simply and softly, leaning against the counter after grabbing Toothless to keep him from bothering Dagur. He looked over the spinning card rack once more, seeing several had been sold. "Did they like them?"

"Hm?"

Hiccup glanced at him to see that Dagur did little more than raise a questioning eyebrow while clicking away on the mouse. The auburn felt foolish for trying to start a conversation with the redhead when he was obviously busy and probably listening with only one ear. "Uh, nevermind."

There was no reply except for the clack of the keys and Toothless' purring while Hiccup scratched the cat's cheek, going back to the cards. He didn't have to wait long, fortunately, and Dagur was shutting down his computer in minutes, grabbing his jacket that he had been sitting on. Hiccup didn't know the other was done until the redhead standing beside him, slipping on his gray jacket and asking, 

"Ready to go?"

A little startled, Hiccup answered in a rush, "Yeah."

Dagur walked in front to the door, holding it open for him before closing it and locking it. "Carry on Mr. Freckles." He waved a hand in front of him as an invitation for Hiccup to take the lead.

Hiccup raised an unamused brow at the nickname before rolling his eyes, heading in the direction towards the docks. 

Dagur followed beside him without questioning on where they were going, a smug grin on his face. "So what was it you asked back at the shop?"

"Hm? Oh, I asked if the couple liked the flowers," Hiccup replied, relaxing his hold on his cat and allowing him to jump from his arms, Toothless bounding in front of them a few steps.

"Yes they did, very much so! Thanks for the help!"

Hiccup paused, making Dagur stop as well, and eyed the other confusingly. "But I hadn't done anything."

"You gave me a second opinion." Dagur smiled lightly, body tilted towards him. "It helped me stop my nitpicking and finally send the picture to them." He chuckled and nudged Hiccup forward, moving them along again. "If I weren't so new at this, I wouldn't be freaking about it so much. But since owning a business and moving to a new place has racked up my nerves, I'm constantly feeling like my flower arrangements aren't good enough. Having a second opinion helps with that."

Wow, Hiccup wasn't expecting all that on their first day of friendship (if this is what it was), but ok. "Then I'm happy to help."

"Sorry to dump that on you, just sometimes I feel the need to explain myself and I tend to go into too much detail. Just tell me to shut up next time if you find it annoying."

"Nono, I don't mind... yet," that drew a chuckle from the redhead, "I'll keep it in mind, though, but I'll probably tell you in a kinder way if at all."

"You're going to regret that because as soon as I start opening my mouth, I can't stop." Dagur glanced towards Hiccup with a teasing smirk.

"Oh, I'm used to that," Hiccup chuckled, thinking of Tuffnut and his twin sister Ruffnut. "At least what you say would be mildly more interesting."

"Is that so? Well, don't say I didn't warn you. By the end of the day, you're going to be sick of me. Probably try and choke me to death to shut me up." Dagur chuckled, hands shoved in his coat pockets.

"We'll see," Hiccup smirked, watching Toothless get sidetracked by a piece of ribbon stuck to a bush.

...

True to his word, Dagur was a talker. He talked all the way to the docks, seemingly one sided to anyone who passed by, but Hiccup was happy to just listen and have the other fill the space between them with mindless drivel; nothing of any importance. It wasn't boring, though despite the random topics, Dagur rather animated as he spoke, and he never stayed on one for very long unless Hiccup asked a few questions about it. A few things the redhead talked about had him laugh, almost smiling the whole way to their destination, and the fifteen walk passed by quickly. Hiccup had lead him out of the center of town, down a well beat trail that was a short cut to the docks, and down a set of steep, steel stairs that let them out onto the very west side of the docks.

"Forget choking, you're going to drown me. Knew you wouldn't last long, just didn't think it would be that quick," Dagur said with amusement, chuckling.

"There's a small cafe around here that I really like, it's just easier to get there from here," Hiccup scoffed, but he had a humorous grin. "But now that you've put it into my head, I'll stow it away for later use."

"You are one sassy guy, Hiccup, not gonna lie." The redhead's chuckle became a short, almost maniacl laugh, causing Hiccup's eyebrows to rise in surprise at the sound. "So a cafe by the docks, hm? Sounds romantic."

The auburn flushed at what he was sure was a joke and looked away while rubbing the back of his neck nervously, sputtering, "It's one of the most decent places to eat other than the deli around Berk if you don't mind the smell of the fishermen. Wasn't going to walk around town with a sour stomach and I wanted something other than sandwiches..."

"Aww, freckles, you're so kind," Dagur cooed, making the flush deepen.

"I-it's Hiccup, not freckles." Hiccup gave a half hearted glare at the other, the blush rising to his cheeks at the half lidded gaze and easy grin the auburn received in return. "Besides, I was talking about myself... you look like someone who could eat anything without getting sick," he mumbled while looking away.

"That isn't far from the truth, actually. Got an iron stomach," Dagur patted his belly, "unless it's peanuts. Those are my kryptonite."

"...Nitrates..."

"Hm?" Dagur, who had turned his gaze to the water, looked back towards Hiccup in confusion. Probably hadn't heard what the auburn had said since it was almost whispered.

"Anything with nitrates makes me sick to my stomach." He almost sighed in relief when they reached the end of the docks and the roof of the cafe peeked over the other side of the road.

"Does somebody have a sensitive stomach?" Dagur teased, snickering at the sound of annoyance Hiccup made. "Aww, don't worry freckles, just makes you eat healthier."

"Out of all the nicknames you could have picked, you chose freckles. Why?" I don't even have that many noticable ones to receive a name like that, Hiccup thought as he moved towards a metal ramp that had a slight slope to it due to the tide going out, connecting the dock to land, and used a finger to push his glasses back up his nose.

"Because you have freckles, duh," Dagur replied in a way that said it should be obvious. "What should have I picked?"

"I don't know, fishbones, gangly, nerd, geek, freak, glasses..." Hiccup trialed off when he saw the unamused look Dagur was giving him. "What?"

"Why would I call you any of those? Whether or not they may be true in some cases-could totally see you being a geek-they're kinda mean," the redhead explained, voice light towards the end. They both paused once they reached the road, looking both ways before continuing. "Besides, your freckles are one of the first things I noticed about you, seconded to that being your eyes."

Said eyes widened as another flush crept along Hiccup's cheeks, missing a step and almost tripping down the slope on the other side of the road at the way Dagur was eyeing him. Admiring him in a way that only Eret had done so before. Ok, so maybe Dagur was hoping this would turn into a date and Hiccup was unsure on how to feel about it. While he didn't mind the attention the redhead was giving him, he wasn't ready for what Dagur possibly wanted. If it was just sex with no strings attached then maybe; he could use a little relief. But if Dagur was hoping for a relationship out of this... Hiccup mentally sighed as he walked up the steps to the cafe. He didn't feel mentally ready to get into another relationship, not wanting to give his heart out to someone else while it was still healing. Hiccup was worried if what were to happen if he ended up really liking Dagur only for the redhead to break up with him, breaking his heart even more. He wasn't willing to risk it.

"Surprisingly quaint... I like it," Dagur commented before he entered, adding the last part once inside.

Hiccup rolled his eyes with a small smile, making his way towards the end of the long counter to sit on one of the stools. He was expecting Toothless to jump up onto the counter beside him until he remembered the cat had run off long before they left the center of town. The place was small, but more well put together than most of the other diners around the area with tasteful seaside dequore. Booths lined two walls with a few round tables scattered spaciously in the middle, the long counter on the third wall which separated the diner from the kitchen. Dagur sat beside him and looked around, taking in the place a bit more with a small smile of his own.

"Well if isn't Hiccup Haddock," a female voice said from behind the counter, a handful of laminated menus in her hands. "I was beginning to wonder if you had fallen off the face of the Earth."

Hiccup scoffed in amusement as he turned his attention to a strawberry blonde haired woman whose hair was up in a ponytail braid, a light gray, thick band wrapped around her head. "Not yet, but maybe in a few more years I'll finally lose it and throw myself over the cliff thinking I can fly." They shared a chuckle, much to Dagur's charinged; not liking the joke.

"Who's your friend?" she asked as she set two menus in front of them, smile genuine.

"This is Dagur, he just moved here. Dagur, this is Atali, she owns this place and is a good friend of the family," Hiccup introduced quickly as he pushed the menu back to Atali, already knowing what he wanted.

"Ooh, a newcomer, how exciting! It's been quite a while since we've had someone move to Berk. And a looker for sure, Hiccup. Nice catch." She staged whispered behind her hand to the auburn before winking, making Hiccup sputter.

"No nonono, he's not-we're not-"

"We're not dating if that's what you mean, sadly. But maybe with enough charm, I could probably persuade him into a kiss by the end of the day," Dagur interrupted with a smirk, but his eyes looked panicked. 

"How adorable," she cooed just as a few fishermen filed in, grabbing a booth. "What would you two like to drink?"

"I'm fine with water, thank you," Hiccup replied, Dagur agreeing.

"Then if you'll excuse me a moment, I'll be back soon to take your orders." Atali got them their waters before leaving them to take a tray of water to the booth, asking if they wanted anything else to drink besides water.

An awkward silence fell upon the two men at the counter, Hiccup looking out the window and Dagur at the menu blankly. Date, yes. This was obviously supposed to turn in to a date without it being said outright, possibly giving Hiccup an out and say it was just two friends hanging out. The auburn slowly turned his focus back to Dagur as Atali passed by them to make a few mugs of coffee and a cup of juice. Dagur's shoulders were tense as he worried his bottom lip, fingers pinching the paper wrapped in plastic tightly. He looked nervous, something Hiccup found unexpected and yet endearing.

"Did you mean what you said?" Hiccup asked before he could chicken out, knowing it needed to be done.

"Hm?" Dagur snapped his eyes towards him, caught off guard by the question.

"Were you hoping to kiss me today, or tonight, depending on when our little get together finishes?" He held his gaze steady with the redhead's despite how nervous he felt himself and knew he had to be blushing again.

"... Yes," was Dagur's short reply, whispered with an embarrassed frown and a quick glance away before continuing. "Unless my gaydar is going out on me, I thought perhaps you were interested in me too."

Hiccup closed his eyes with a sigh, a small smile playing the edge of his lips. "You're gaydar is fine. And I am interested..." He trailed off with a guilty frown, gently playing with the two braids behind his right ear.

"I'm sensing a but here."

"But I just got out of a serious relationship that's left me a bit... raw. Like calling off a wedding a week before it serious."

Dagur gaped, eyebrows raised high in his forehead. "Oh... yikes."

"Yeah."

"Geez, I'm sorry."

Hiccup raised a quizicle eyebrow. "For what? You had no part in him breaking up with me." Atali was certainly taking her sweet time getting back to them.

"When you said you were interested in me but got out of a serious relationship, I thout you actually weren't and just trying to let me down easy so as to not hurt my feelings... Sorry." Dagur looked down at the stainless steel counter top and fiddled with the menu, embarrassed at his assumptions.

"Happened a lot?" Hiccup guessed with a small quirk to his lips, letting the other know he wasn't offended.

"Quite a few times actually. Which I don't understand, who could possibly pass up on this?" Dagur turned to face the auburn and motioned to himself, puffing up his chest.

Hiccup snickered just as Atali finally came back to them, pen and paper in hand.

"Ready to order boys?" she asked with a smile of her own, looking pleased.

Hiccup ordered an ultimate breakfast skillet while Dagur order a BLT, the bun made out of woven together crispy bacon, with a side of hash browns. Silence filled the space between them again when Atali left and Hiccup tapped his fingers on the counter rhythmically, looking out the window again. 

"I know it's not any of my business and you can tell me to piss off," Dagur started after clearing his throat awkwardly, bringing Hiccup's gaze back to him. The redhead took a moment before continuing, looking back at the auburn. "Why was the wedding called off, what happened?"

Hiccup was expecting the question and wasn't at all surprised. While it still hurt and he didn't really want to talk about it, he knew it would help (or at least that was what everyone kept telling him). Hiccup let out a sigh and tilted his body towards the redhead, leaning against the counter with one arm resting on it. "We were two different people, wanting different things from each other. He was a social butterfly who wanted to go out with friends about every night and wanted me join him despite how uncomfortable I was. I wanted to stay home while also wanting to spend time with him and allowed myself to be talked into joining him on his nightly excursions. He felt like he was forcing me into things I didn't want to do and felt bad, but never once stoppied trying to talk me into going with him. Eventually, he got tired of it and we got into a fight during one of them. I had finally put my foot down, told him no and stayed firm, letting him know it was ok for him to go if he wanted. It was not ok for him and things got a bit heated." 

Hiccup took a deep breath to calm himself as he felt the anger of that night rising up in him again. "I can't remember what was said that night, a lot of it done in the heat of the moment, but then he said that maybe we should break up." He remembered how the words silenced him and made him feel like the ground had disappeared beneath him. But he was still angry with Eret. "Upset, I agreed. I thought by the next day when we both had calmed down, we would talk and everything would be ok again... We did talk, but everything was not ok. Eret apologized for everything, but realized we weren't meant for each other. We were too different going in opposite directions and that's the end of the story. Wedding called off, people reimbursed, things returned or resold to someone who would use them."

"You were besotted with him or still are," Dagur stated quietly while Hiccup took a drink. "I see the signs of a broken heart. Can't quite hide those circles behind your glasses." The redhead tried to grin, make it seem like he was teasing, but there was no mirth to it.

Hiccup appreciated it nonetheless and grinned half-heartedly back in thanks. "Had your heart broken before?"

They paused when Atali returned with their food, saying nothing as she felt the air about them. She looked between them with a worried frown as she placed their plates in front of them, hesitating to leave until Hiccup gave a reassuring nod. She nodded back and left to tend to the rest of the costumers.

"Once, quite recently. About five months before I moved here," Dagur began once they were alone again. "I wasn't quite in love with him, but I was getting there. Our relationship wasn't... conventional though. We had to hide our relationship for a long time and it was beginning to get to both of us not being able to hold hands or kiss in public, let alone actually be seen together."

"Why not?" Hiccup unintentionally interrupted. Dagur grimaced and obviously didn't want to go into detail on the why. "Sorry, it's none of my business."

"It's ok. Anyways, having to hide became too much and decided to call it quits before someone got hurt. By the time it would be ok for us to go public, he had already found somebody and that deepened my conviction into moving here."

"That's..." Hiccup started to say, but didn't know exactly what to say and kept quiet

"Yeah." Dagur took a bite of his sandwich. "This is pretty good." 

Hiccup took a bite of his own food and agreed, noticing that Atali had used a different kind of sausage today and it was delicious. He hoped that it didn't have any nitrates in it though, otherwise their hanging out would be cut short. "What was his name?"

"...Throk. He was a police officer, strawberry blonde hair much like Atali's except with more strawberry than blond. He was a good man with a good heart and a dark sense of humor."

The auburn had a feeling Dagur didn't mean to add detail to the man he once really liked, but didn't mind and listened as the redhead added a few more things before silencing himself by eating his sandwich.

"Sorry, didn't mean to say all that. Trying to charm you into dating me and here I am talking about another guy," Dagur said after a few moments, once more his teasing falling short.

"I don't mind, but it seems to me we both need a break from dating," Hiccup replied with a small grin. "Maybe a friendship is what we need right now before we try jumping onto the dating wagon."

Dagur looked a bit disappointed, but agreed with him. "I suppose so."

"But I'm not asking you to wait for me. Hoping, yes. Asking, no. I don't want you waiting for me while you could be off with someone else more appropriate for you."

"Appropriate?" Dagur snorted. "Same here. But from what I can tell after these past couple of days, waiting would be worth it." His smile was small but endearing, making Hiccup's own widen if not shyly. "But just to clarify, during this waiting period, would we share some sexy times together or do we need to rely on our hands?"

Hiccup had been taking a sip of his water when Dagur asked this and he almost choked on it, sputtering around the rim of his glass. "Dagur!"

"Overstepped?"

"Overstepped." Even though having a physical relationship with Dagur didn't sound so bad, he didn't want it to get in the way of having an emotional one first. He had heard about people starting physical relationships first that turned into emotional ones, but Hiccup felt that was a little backwards. He has had one night stands, for sure, but that was all they were and didn't expect them become anything more. And what would happen if Dagur ended up only wanting the physical part while Hiccup wanted the emotional part as well? Starting as friends and figuring out things from there would be more preferable.

"Sorry, just setting it out on the table." Dagur didn't look at all sorry and huffed out a chuckle with a smirk. "I guess me and my hand are going to get reacquainted."

"Oh my gods..."

...

Food eaten and serious talk out of the way for the day, Dagur brought up random topics once more. Only this time he was trying to engage Hiccup into talking as well, asking easily answered questions in order to get to know the auburn. Hiccup didn't mind so much as they stayed in safer territories that didn't force him into awkward positions. It wasn't until Dagur fell upon video games that Hiccup really allowed himself to cut loose, a topic he loved but sadly didn't get to play much anymore due to him allowing himself to be overworked. Now it was Dagur's turn to be the silent party, only speaking when he wanted to ask a question. Hiccup spoke about a few games he played as a child and the many game stations he used to own that he bought with his own money that he earned doing hard laborious work for his uncle Gobber. 

Then somehow they got into talking about Silent Hill being the best horror games (well 1-4 at least were) and Hiccup went into a rant about the movies based off of the games being terrible, not sticking to the plot very well and adding monsters that didn't belong. Dagur sat and listened with an amused grin, having never known about the games, and watched as the auburn spoke passionately. They stayed on that topic before the redhead butted in.

"Why don't we have a game marathon and you can play them for me, show me what all the hype is about," Dagur suggested, cheek pressed to a fist and elbow rested on the counter.

"Wouldn't that be boring?" Hiccup asked in doubt. "You watching while I play."

"No not really. I'm not much of a gamer myself and I prefer watching other people play."

"You could always watch the walkthroughs on YouTube." Hiccup realized he was trying to find an excuse to keep them from being alone together without outright telling Dagur he didn't want to. Not because he didn't like the redhead, but because he did. A lot. Hiccup was positive that if they ended being alone together in the privacy of either of their homes, the auburn was sure he wouldn't be able to keep his hands on the controller.

"It's not as much fun," Dagur admitted before finishing the last of his water. "We could make it into a mini party with snacks and drinks, maybe even paint our nails and braid our hair."

Hiccup snickered at the last part and could already feel his will caving in on him, especially with the way Dagur was staring at him like a puppy dog. It never used to work on him before, but damn did those green eyes make his heart pound. Hiccup finally let out a sigh of annoyance and rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll think about it and plan a day. What days do you have off?"

"Sundays. I'm going for Mondays too when the shop really takes off," Dagur answered with a victorious smile.

"Ok. I'll have to see if I even still have my PlayStation 2 and memory cards." Hiccup wasn't lying about that. Ever since he started dating Eret, who didn't even like video games, he packed up all his gaming stuff and placed them in the garage of his parents' home. His parents could have thrown them out for all he knew.

"If not, I'll keep an eye out at garage sales and pawn shops."

Hiccup scrunched up his face questioningly, wondering if Dagur had ever been to one on Berk yet, when Atali stopped by and saw that neither of them had yet to notice the check sitting between them that had been there the last twenty minutes.

"Excuse me boys, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to kick you guys out to make room," she said apologetically.

The two men then noticed that the small cafe was beginning to fill up as brunch had turned into lunch, hungry fishermen and dates looking for a good meal. Hiccup quickly apologized in return and was about to pull out his card when Dagur beat him to it by putting a wad of cash on the counter, tip included. Atali took it before Hiccup could protest and shooed the two of them out. They left, full and satisfied, and began their trek back to town, taking the long way back. The sky had become more cloudy since then and Hiccup feared that maybe they should have gone back the way they came if it were to rain any time soon. Dagur tried to expel his worries by saying that they probably had at least a few hours, maybe even all afternoon, before it started to rain.

The temperature had began to cool as they made their way back to town, passing by several beach access roads, a fishery, a cannery, and a few farms before they rounded a hill and Berk came into view. Dagur stopped to take it all in, realizing he had walked a large portion of the island as the town wasn't even a mile away from the ocean, maybe two from the docks. The redhead was probably realizing how small Hiccup's island really was; one tiny town on one small piece of land surrounded by water. While not the smallest in the archapealago, it held the smallest population, especially with kids going to college and probably never coming back. But the smallness of it was comforting more than it was lonely, not claustrophobic like it was on some of the other islands and the mainland.

It was only minutes before they were entering the most populated area of Berk, the smell of apples and cinnamon wafting into their noses. Dagur spotted the bakery where the smell was coming from and grabbed Hiccup's hand to drag him inside, a large grin plastered on his face when he saw the shelves of pies and other baked goods. Dagur licked his upper lip hungrily when he saw the cooked apple crisp still steaming, fresh from the oven.

"You couldn't possibly be hungry again," Hiccup commented blandly as he was dragged to the counter, surprisingly no lines today.

"That meal was rather small for me and after a walk like that, of course I'm hungry again. Plus this just smells too good to pass up," Dagur replied dreamily before asking the young man behind the glass shelves for the largest container they had filled with apple crisp, topped with whip cream, along with a tea in a to go cup. "What do you want?" he then asked while waiting for his order.

Hiccup wasn't really in the mood for food, but some creamy chai tea sounded nice right about now. A chill had settled in him, his jacket not thick enough to keep the cold at bay, and drinking something warm would go a long way. They sat outside on a bench pressed up against the building they had just come out of despite the cooler temperature, not wanting to fight for a spot in the crowded bakery. Even though there was no line when they had entered, the place was full of young teenagers looking for something to do in the summer months. It won't be long before their parents do that for them in the form of a job. It also won't be long before the owner kicked them out for loitering and using up precious space for paying costumers. Hiccup could see the red, round face of one elderly woman yelling at the hooligans to take their shit and go before she called the police, or worse, their parents.

Dagur ate his apple crisp happily and Hiccup sat quietly beside him, sipping his chai and watching the town. Dark clouds could be seen rolling in and Hiccup knew they wouldn't have all afternoon before it rained, probably not even an hour as the wind picked up. It looked like this storm was going to be a doozy and Hiccup was not looking forward to it. The redhead's cheer seemed to dim a bit as he too noticed how quickly the dark clouds had started to roll in, putting the lid back on the container of his half eaten food.

"I think it best we cut our not date short before that storm fully reaches us," Dagur suggested, crestfallen. "I still have flowers to deliver and I don't want to be caught out in it."

"Would you like some help?" Hiccup asked, feeling disappointed as well about the incoming storm cutting into their time. He wasn't quite ready to go home yet anyway despite how cold he was beginning to feel, the chai not enough to warm him.

It looked like Dagur was about to protest, but then a small grin broke out and he nodded gratefully. "If you don't mind."

"Don't mind at all."

The two quickly hurried to the flower shop as the wind was beginning to make the trees creak and bend from the force of it, leaves rustling loudly on their branches. A strong scent of the sea hit their noses and Hiccup absently wondered how high the waves had climbed up the beaches and cliffs, remembering that the weather forecast hadn't said anything about a storm. He would have to check the news later to make sure this wasn't anything serious. The two of them made it just as the first droplets of rain began to fall, getting worse by the second.

"I have a small delivery van in the back, but I'm gonna have to back up as close to the door as I can so the flowers don't get damaged," Dagur said as he made his way towards the back of the shop, opening a door that had a sign saying employees only. 

Hiccup followed and saw that the back held four doors; a bathroom, an office, a fridge for the flowers, and an exit. Dagur opened the exit door and quickly closed it behind him, leaving the auburn by himself in the dark hallway. Seconds later, a door could be heard slamming shut, a rumble of a vehicle being turned on, and the long drawn out squeal of breaks as the van was backed up close to the exit. It was only a few moments before the squealing stopped, Hiccup thinking maybe it was time for new break pads, and Dagur was back inside, sopping wet and hair flat against his head.

"I'll leave the door open and hang outside while you hand me the arrangements," Dagur said once inside, not at all looking bothered by the rain. "There's five of them in the fridge and they're not that heavy."

Hiccup nodded and made his way to the walk in fridge, finding a wedge next to the door to keep it propped open. Dagur propped open the exit door and left the back doors of the van open, already standing outside between them and waiting for the flowers. The baskets weren't heavy at all and the auburn grabbed two at a time, making three trips before he soon found himself climbing into the passenger seat of the van. The heat was cranked up, fans on full blast, and the radio was playing rather loudly until Dagur turned the knob to turn it off once he slid into the driver's seat.

"Thanks for the help," the redhead said as put the vehicle in to motion, slowly driving through the alley to the street. "So much for trying to deliver before the storm... I should probably call them to see if they're there." Dagur stopped before he reached the end of the alley and pulled out his phone, searching through this records before tapping on one. Whoever he called answered before the second ring. "Hello Mrs. Laffet, it's Dagur. I was just wondering if you guys had started to set up yet? Oh! No worries, I don't mind.... No no, please you don't have to do that, it's fine..... Ok, I'm on my way. Ok, bye." He hung up, looked over towards Hiccup and asked, "Can you tell me where the senior center is?"

...

The senior center was just outside of town on a hill away from the water, looking more like apartments for the elderly than a sad and lonely like hospital that Hiccup had seen only in movies. While they did have volunteered nurses twenty-four seven, the place looked anything but a hospital or assisted living home. There was another building beside it where events and the like were held, big enough to hold at least a hundred people. There were a set of double doors leading into the building, the entrance well covered, and Dagur backed up to it, not wanting the wind to ruin his flowers. The redhead opened one of the double doors while Hiccup opened both of the van's back doors, handing two baskets to Dagur while grabbing two himself; a third between his teeth. Several people who had been setting up a few tables immediately moved towards them and grabbed a few of the baskets (pointedly the one between Hiccup's teeth), setting them on one of the tables to figure out where to put them later. 

"Good heavens boy, you look like a drowned rat!" a woman, maybe in her late forties, exclaimed when she had rushed over to grab one of the baskets. Her hair was completely white, but thick and lucious, and pulled back into a braided bun. "Please come stay a while and have some coffee or some tea. Oh! Hello Hiccup, dear! What a pleasant surprise to see you."

"Hello Mrs. Mable," the auburn greeted with a polite smile, trying to hide a shiver. He may not be as wet as Dagur, but he was certainly feeling the cold (which goes to say that the redhead was probably freezing standing there in damp clothes).

"Oh please, call me auntie like I've told you so many times."

Hiccup suppressed an eye roll, not even surprised she doesn't understand that no one wants to call her auntie. Maybe crazy aunt Mable, but it wouldn't be said in an endearing sort of way like Hiccup thought of Gobber. She was the sort of woman you could only handle in short spurts of time before her bipolar attitude of too kind to sudden domineering became a bit much. Luckily they seem to have caught at her best. 

"Coffee would be nice," the auburn replied, bringing the focus back onto the question she had asked before.

"Of course!" Mrs. Mable said excitedly and scurried off to a table pushed off to the side with several coffee machines, cups, and other hot drink essentials: missing that she was being dismissed.

"Not a fan?" Dagur asked from beside him, sounding amused; having watched the short interaction.

"Not really. I'm just glad we caught her at a good time," Hiccup grumbled back, not wanting to appear rude to the others scrambling and decorating the room. "Was she the one who made the order yesterday?"

"Nope. It was her sister, but I got several calls from her later on asking for pictures. She seemed a bit more demanding, though, than she does now."

"She has her moments, but it can get a bit overbearing."

They quieted when she returned with a smile and a pair of styrafoam cups full of hot liquid. "Here you two are. Why don't you both stay? The dinner is going to be lovely."

"As tempting as that sounds, I have work I need to finish and he's my ride," Hiccup replied, maybe a little too quickly before taking a sip. He hid a grimace at the bitter tasting blackness in his cup and did not bring it back to his mouth. No amount of cream and sugar would make it taste better.

"Yup and I really don't want to be caught in this storm anymore than I have to," Dagur added, not even bothering to drink his coffee.

"That's a shame," she pouted, but it seemed like nothing was going to spoil her good mood today. She must have gotten the good stuff (prescribed drugs). "How do you two know each other? Boyfriends?" The thought of them being together didn't disturb her like it would with a few of the other elderly around here.

"Not yet, but I'm working on it." Hiccup rolled his eyes while Mrs. Mable giggled. Dagur continued, "We met at the flower shop and he was supposed to give me a tour of the town today, but..." He trailed off and waved out towards the window.

"That's disappointing, but don't let this put a chink between you two. It's a small place after all." She winked as her smile grew.

"I'm sure it won't, but unfortunately we have to go," Hiccup butted in before she could bumble on about something or another, having been caught up in many rants before.

"Of course, of course. Please don't let me keep you." She took a step, more like a skip, back and motioned towards the door, floral dress swishing with the movement. "Oh! Don't forget to oil that leg of yours when you get home, don't want it to rust. Unless you got one with some special metal that doesn't..." Hiccup tensed and felt Dagur's eyes on him, knowing they had moved down to his legs. "Anyways, take care now! Have a safe trip home." She rushed away and began ordering those around her, scoffing at how some of the decorations were done.

Hiccup quickly made his escape and exited the building, finding he had forgotten to close the van's back doors and shut them after pouring out his coffee. He made it back to the passenger seat just as Dagur was sitting down in the driver's cupless, both allowing themselves to shiver now that they were alone. Nothing was said between them until the redhead had to ask for directions on where the auburn lived, awkwardness filling the space between them. When they reached Hiccup's apartment, the auburn hesitated to leave; not wanting to end their time together in such a way. He had been unsure on how and when to approach the subject with Dagur, not comfortable speaking about it even to his own friends and family. He saw the pitying looks, the shame at not being able to stop something that wasn't their fault and he hated the way they had treated him as if he would break at any moment. It was a long time before things got back to normal, but they still blame themselves for what happened whenever they got a glimpse of his leg. But Dagur would find out sooner or later, especially if he was sticking around, and it would be best if he heard it from Hiccup first before someone else blabbed about it.

With a quiet sigh, anxiety building up, Hiccup bent down to reach for his left pant leg and pulled it up, revealing his black fitted, very expensive, Harmony vacuum pump prosthetic leg. It nestled up just below his knee, the protective liner attached to it rolled up to his thigh to help keep it in place. It was sleek and beautiful for a piece of hardware and it was probably one of the more comfortable fake legs he wore. After a moment, he pushed the fabric of his pants back down to cover his leg back up and straightened back up, still tense with his heart pumping in his chest. He didn't look at Dagur, couldn't look, as he waited for the redhead to say something, anything. Waited for the questions to start popping out of his mouth. Hiccup felt self-conscious as he sensed the other's gaze, but couldn't tell exactly where the redhead was looking.

"Huh... well that explains the limp you sometimes have," Dagur murmured in contemplation, curiosity, but no sound of pity or disgust hidden within his voice.

Hiccup jerked his head to the side to look at the other, eyebrows furrowed and small frown in place. Dagur stared back with his face carefully guarded, something the auburn was unsure on what to think, but there was no pity, sadness, or caution hidden in those eyes. It was a first and it tripped Hiccup up since he was used to seeing... well, everything else. If the redhead was shocked, he schooled it well or got over it before Hiccup turned towards him.

"It's not because I'm in pain, haven't been in a long time, just sometimes fall back on a way I used to walk when it did," Hiccup started to explain quietly. "Like..."

"Like muscle memory," Dagur finished for him, nodding at him in understanding. "What happened?" He didn't ask if Hiccup minded or told him he didn't have to, but his eyes said it for him. He was giving Hiccup the chance to back out of the painful topic without voicing it out loud.

But Hiccup wanted to.

"Got caught in a snare. Was exploring a privately owned part of the woods and stepped into a wire trap, wrapping around my leg just below the knee when I struggled to get out." Hiccup paused for a moment, remembering how much pain he was in when the wire cut into his flesh. "It cut off the circulation and by the time someone found me a day later, the lower half of my leg was dead and the wound was becoming infected." He had been scared, bleeding, and hot with no food or water for more than twenty-six hours before someone found him and a few more hours after, going straight into surgery. 

His friends blamed themselves for not finding him sooner, but the relationships he had made with them were still fresh and they didn't know the ins and outs of him yet. They didn't know where he liked to hide when he needed to be alone, what his favorite color was, or if he even liked dark chocolate (he didn't, he just ate some that one time so as to not hurt Astrid's feelings when she spent so much money on it for his birthday). And his parents, the way they coddled him and walked on eggshells around him, the money they spent to help him return back to life as normal as possible; it was all a bit too much after such a distressing incident. Hiccup had drawn into himself, closing himself off and fallen into a hold of self pity, something he didn't from others as he had it in abundance. Thank Thor for Gobber, however, as the man had not only a prosthetic leg but also a fake hand. His adopted uncle would not allow him to fall too far and treated him like he always did, pushing him to do better. If not for Gobber, Hiccup would still be a former shell of what he was.

"That sucks," Dagur hissed, face scrunched up in remembered pain of his own. Hiccup wanted to ask what he had been through to cause such a reaction, but he had enough of serious talks for today. "Looks pretty cool. Doesn't rust though, does it?"

"No," Hiccup shook his head, a small grin forcing its way out. "It's water proof."

"Good. So uh, I'll text you later?"

The auburn's grin dropped, disappointment filling him as his mind told him this was it. This was the end of their friendship, the stop of a relationship that Hiccup found he was actually looking forward to. All this was too much for Dagur to handle and he finally came to the realization that this isn't what he wanted, that Hiccup and his quirks wasn't what he wanted.

"I know, I'm disappointed too. I was hoping for a full day with you, but I'm glad I got at least this much today," Dagur quickly said when he noticed Hiccup was frowning once more, surprising the auburn. The redhead grinned warmly at him and hesitantly grabbed his hand loosely, giving Hiccup the chance to pull away if he wanted to.

Hiccup didn't.

"I'll text you to let you know I made it home and maybe we can FaceTime later if you're up to it, talk about something more light after all the seriousness of day," the redhead went on while giving Hiccup a reassuring smile.

The auburn returned it and nodded gratefully, his mind calming down and body relaxing. For once, he was glad to be proven wrong. "Sounds fine to me, but only if you want to."

"Oh, I want to. But first, shower, warmer clothes, and a cup of hot coco is in order."

Hiccup full heartedly agreed and could already feel the warm spray on his back, the soft fleece of of his oversized sweater, and the taste of sweet hot chocolate on his tongue. It would be a great treat he hadn't allowed himself to have in a long while. "Give me an hour or so before calling."

"You got it."

"Drive safe." Hiccup reached for the handle of the door.

"Always do." Something about that felt off and the auburn didn't believe it for a second. Dagur shrugged at the look of disbelief he gave him. "Bye Hiccup."

"Bye Dagur." Moving before he could second guess himself, Hiccup reached over and up to cup the redhead's cheek and gave the other cheek a quick peck, adding, "Something to look forward to." He opened the door and slid out before slamming it closed, hurrying inside the main entrance of his apartment building without a second glance. His heart raced at his actions, face red, and mind reeling at the look of surprise and happiness on Dagur's face.

Hiccup took in a deep breath before he finished his trek to the stairwell, taking the steps slowly to the second floor. Upon entering his apartment, door gently closed and lights turned on, he allowed himself to fully relax with a tired sigh. He felt like he was on edge all day, his mind constantly circling around in his head, and his heart unsure when to properly beat. One smile from Dagur and his mind was screaming yes at him. A laugh and the auburn was a puddle of goo. A smirk and Hiccup felt his self control slipping. One cool look had him tensing, body and mind readying itself for rejection. And those serious talks frightened him, his mind running out of control and coming up with outlandish scenarios. But his stomach was squirming with butterflies at the reassurance Dagur gave today that he still wanted to be his friend, still wanted to be something more with Hiccup. Still willing to give Hiccup a chance.

His phone chimed and he took it out of his pants' pocket, finding he had two messages; one from Dagur and one from his mom. Dagur's read that he made it back and was giving Hiccup one hour before he called while his mother's read that Toothless found his way to their house and would be staying the night with them. Hiccup sighed in relief, feeling guilty that Toothless had hardly been on his mind today while he was with Dagur and trusting the cat enough to care for himself. It was hard to think properly while around the redhead, unused to such advances from others that weren't Eret. Hiccup thanked his mother and sent a smiley face to Dagur before slipping off his wet shoes, undressing as he made his way to the bathroom. 

He turned the shower on before thought better of it, plugging the drain and poured in some epsom salts in the rising water. He then walked back out, naked, to the kitchen to grab a beer and a bag of chocolate covered cashews. He had an hour, might as well make it count.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, drop a comment or kudo!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna be a short chapter this one, sorry about that. Before I forget, the violence tag is for much later chapters. Anyways hope you enjoy!
> 
> Foest97: to answer your question, yes. There are plants that are poisonous to cats and honestly, that never crossed my mind until you pointed it out. So I figured Dagur would have start putting those away out if Toothless' reach when he started visiting with he shop.

What do you mean you've never seen it?!" Dagur yelled in bewilderment through the screen, a look of utter devistation on his face as he stared at Hiccup. "How could you not have seen it?! It's a classic, based on a true story!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes as his fingers continued their movement on his laptop's keyboard, finishing an invoice for his last costumer. "I know at least that much, just never really saw the need to watch a movie about two killer lions."

"Says the man who's obsessed with anything horror," Dagur scoffed, the sound of snipping sheers echoing from the speakers as a flower bulb fell into the redhead's awaiting hand.

Hiccup only shrugged, not paying attention to his phone that was propped up against a cup on the coffee table, giving Dagur a full view of what he was doing. "Maybe one of these days we can have a movie night and you can show it to me."

"Not if it upsets your poor sensitive stomach."

Hiccup glared at the phone, eyes meeting Dagur's, and the redhead grinned teasingly. "If you're going to be like that I might just cancel tomorrow's game day."

Dagur gasped dramatically. "And miss out on all the fun and snacks? Surely you can't be serious?"

"I am serious and don't call me Shurly."

"Airplanes, really?" Dagur snickered, snipping another dying bud from a potted plant. "Never figured you'd watch something like that."

"It's not that bad a movie, but I still prefer Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Hiccup printed off the invoice, standing up to fetch it from the kitchen counter. He grabbed an envelope and a pen before sitting back down, folding the paper and placing inside the envelope then writing down his and the costumer's address. He'll put a stamp on it once he got more from the post office tomorrow. Or he could just drop it off himself, the person didn't live too far away from him.

"Really?" Dagur sounded vaguely surprised. "See? I told you having daily FaceTime and texts were needed, otherwise who knows when I would have found that out."

Hiccup shook his head with a smile as he grabbed his phone, done for the night and all caught up with work. He sat back and watched as Dagur continued to preen his plant before beginning to sort out flowers for a new arrangement. It was full of multicolored daisies, one of his most popular flowers lately. The redhead wasn't wearing a shirt due to the A/C being broken, having taken it off as soon as he closed the shop, and Hiccup could see that the tattoos ran all the way up his shoulders and down his upper back; his lower back, front, and sides untouched. A mix of Viking and Celtic markings intertwined together in remembrance of his Irish birth mother and his Norse father. Hiccup openly admired him, finding no need to hide since he knew Dagur was still interested in him even after three weeks of knowing each other and the redhead wasn't paying attention to notice at the moment.

Three weeks, that's how long they've known each other and still Dagur wanted to talk to him every chance he had. The redhead would text him during the day, send him some Marco Polos once a day, two if he saw something interesting, and FaceTimed him during the evening when he closed the shop. Dagur had yet to let up on his flattering charm and Hiccup had become used to it, not blushing as much, but still enjoyed it. They had gone out together several times for lunch, dinner, or an occasional walk when it was warm out and sometimes even went to the beach. The first time they went, Dagur taught Hiccup they were never too old to play in the mud when the tide was out. The auburn smiled to himself as he remembered the selfie Dagur took of their muddy faces and ruined clothes. He should ask Dagur to send him that one.

"You fall asleep?" Dagur suddenly asked as he stopped long enough to look at his phone and see that Hiccup was still awake. "Why so quiet suddenly?"

"Just thinking about planning a beach day again before another storm hits," Hiccup replied wistfully, already dreading an unforeseen event. "Maybe go on the opposite side of the island where there's less clay and more sand."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Dagur agreed as he finished up, pleased with himself. He grabbed his phone and switched the view so Hiccup was now looking at the vase of flowers, something he had been doing lately whenever they FaceTime. "What do you think?"

"Gorgeous as always."

"Oh Hiccup, I bet you make all the boys blush with words like that."

The auburn chuckled as the view switched back to the redhead, the screen jostling as Dagur moved about. The background began to shift as the other made his way to the fridge, most likely putting the flowers in the cold display case. A meow at the door caught Hiccup's attention and he stood up to open it just enough to allow Toothless in. The cat shakily meowed as he ran to the kitchen for his food, wailing when he found it empty. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he followed Toothless, resting a hand on a hip.

"You just ate your dinner not even an hour ago," Hiccup chastised with furrowed eyebrows. "You don't get seconds unless you want to go through that watery hell of an exercise again." A loud mewl was his reply and he huffed while Dagur laughed, catching Toothless by surprise at the sound.

Toothless immediately ran back out to the living room, meowing questioningly as he went, and swiveled his head about, looking for something.

"I think someone's missing you," Hiccup said as he switched the view so Dagur could see Toothless, who was now moving about the room, still searching and meowing.

"Aww Toothless," Dagur cooed sadly, drawing the cat's attention. "My three legged nightfury!"

Toothless trotted back to Hiccup and sat down by his feet, letting out a drawn out yowl. He then began to look around his human's legs, trying to spot the redhead, and growled quietly in distress at not finding him.

"Here, let me sit down," Hiccup mumbled to himself as he made his way back to the couch, falling back onto it and switching the screen back to himself. Toothless followed him and jumped up onto his lap, moving up to his chest and almost knocking the phone from Hiccup's hand. Toothless only stopped until he was completely on top of the auburn's chest, blocking the human's face from view.

Dagur chuckled and the cat, who had been staring at Hiccup, swiveled his head to the phone and let out an excited chirp upon seeing the redhead. Toothless stood back on to his feet and moved forward so he could rub his face against the screen, giving Hiccup his rear. The auburn made a sound of disgust and forced the cat to sit down, peeking over Toothless so he could see Dagur as well. The redhead was laughing and cooing at the cat's reaction to seeing him, drawing a small grin from Hiccup. He had never seen Toothless act quite like this before with anyone that wasn't him or his mother and reciprocated the affection quite like Dagur. Toothless was what you could call weary, which wasn't a surprise since he pretty much grew up on the streets before Hiccup found him. It actually took a while before the cat even trusted him, but when he did, it was the best feeling in the world.

The more Hiccup got to know Dagur, the more frightened he became of him. The auburn's feelings for him were growing and it scared him. The thought of falling for the redhead only for Dagur to reject him was terrifying, holding Hiccup back from embracing it and accepting it. The hurt of rejection from Erett was still there, but it was slowly fading away and being replaced with the comfort of Dagur's friendship. He knew it would never completely go away, but it would soon dull enough for him to ignore it and finally embrace the redhead completely. He wasn't the only one, he knew the pain that still lingered behind Dagur's eyes; a pain so carefully guarded behind a face of cheerfulness that Hiccup only caught a glimpse of barely a handful of times when the redhead thought he wasn't paying attention. But Hiccup was and has been since the two of them declared a friendship between them, watching and listening carefully for any hidden signs that would cause any red flags.

So far, Hiccup noticed that Dagur seemed to always smile, or force himself to when around others. Dagur was also polite, biting back angry retorts when with upset costumers and feigned apologies; but Hiccup has only seen those first hand a few times. Who knew what the redhead was like when he wasn't there. When Dagur was lost in thought, he tended to chew on his lips and the inside of his cheeks; tearing off old skin. A few times he chewed too much, too deeply, and made his bottom lip bleed. When Dagur focused on whatever he was doing, his lips would purse and eyebrows furrow, scaring off a costumer once. A tapping foot meant he was anxious. Not being able to stay in one spot meant he was energetic and needed a way to burn it off. Staring off into space with no mouth chewing meant he was tired. And a set jaw, fists clenching almost rhythmically meant he was angry; something Hiccup only saw once when Dagur was dealing with an unreasonable patron. The auburn thought he might see a dark side of Dagur that day, but was happily surprised when the redhead forced a grin and politely asked them to leave.

The beeping sound of his phone ending a call was just loud enough to bring Hiccup from his thoughts and cursed under his breath, knowing what had happened. "Toothless!" he hissed as he shoved the cat down from his chest to his lap before quickly typing a message to Dagur.

*Sorry about that, I believe Toothless accidently ended the call*-H 

*Do you want to call back?*-H

Hiccup didn't have to wait for a reply.

*No worries, I figured thats what happened and no, that's ok. It's getting late and I need to finish a few things before bed*-D

*I'll see you tomorrow. 10 still?*-D

*Yes, kk I'll see you tomorrow. Good night*-H

*Night freckles*-D

Hiccup dropped his phone onto the couch beside him and sighed, smiling lightly at nothing in particular. The joy inside him at talking to Dagur and being able to see him tomorrow had not begun to wither yet, something that usually happened after each call and each meeting to be replaced with loneliness, and his smile widened at the thought of Dagur finally getting to come to his home. He should be nervous in letting someone into his sanctioned living space, and he had for a while a few weeks ago at the thought of it, but now all he felt was anticipation and excitement. It probably helped that his living space was much more spacious than Dagur's, considering how the redhead complained about it often. Hiccup had yet to see it or sent pictures of it, Dagur embarrassed by it. But Hiccup knew he wouldn't mind the smallness of it and had told Dagur so before, but he respected the redhead's protests and left it at that.

Hiccup stood up with a grunt, Toothless jumping off his lap with an annoyed growl. "Hush you." 

He went to the bathroom to get ready for bed, feeling a little tired himself even though it wasn't that late yet. But he had an early morning that day, borrowing his father's car to pick up his boxed up games and consoles after having found them the day before during one of his visits to them. It didn't take long after that to schedule a gaming day with Dagur the upcoming Sunday and he had everything he needed set up. Everything else went into storage in the basement, locked behind flimsy doors that Hiccup hoped would hold until he found a better spot for them; before they get stolen. Hiccup took his time getting ready and dressed in a baggy shirt, giving Toothless fresh water before sliding beneath the covers of his bed.

...

Hiccup had woken early the next day, his excitement waking him up long before Dagur would show up. He wasted that time giving his apartment a once over, something that didn't really need to be done, and double checked the stock in his fridge and cabinets. He had enough juice, bottled water, and beer for the two of them to last for days and plenty of snacks to hold them over until lunch and dinner. Dagur said he would bring over something for brunch, possibly pastries, and that kept Hiccup from preparing some toast for breakfast; an activity that would have kept him occupied for a least a short while. Instead, he got dressed in a pair of baggy shorts, not at all shy about his leg anymore around the redhead (considering how often Dagur wanted to see and admire it helped a bit), and a short sleeved shirt that was a size too big. Next he filled Toothless' bowls before fiddling around his apartment, looking for something to do until a round of knocks on the door filled the place. Toothless paused in his grooming on top of the back of the couch to look at the door.

Hiccup stopped rearranging his work tools in their cases and quicky crossed the living room to open the door, smiling widely at the redhead who stood behind it; heart beating happily in his chest. "Hello, good morning," the auburn bid almost shyly, moving aside to allow the other entrance. 

"Good morning to you as well," Dagur replied as he entered, taking in the space while Hiccup closed the door behind him. Toothless immediately jumped down and ran for the redhead, becoming rather talkative as he rubbed against Dagur's legs. Dagur chuckled and set down a large reusable shopping bag and a box he had been carrying to scoop him up, holding him in one arm while his free hand scratched his chin and cheeks. "I know, I missed you too little buddy," the redhead cooed, drawing a small chuckled from Hiccup. "Nice digs, so much more spacious than mine." 

"So you keep saying," Hiccup murmured with amusement, grabbing the bag and box to place them on the kitchen table. "What did you bring?"

"I brought chocolate and raspberry crepes for brunch and stuff for lunch and dinner." Dagur preened at the auburn's surprise and set the cat on the table to pull out several containers from the bag, handing them to Hiccup to place in the fridge. Toothless was not one bit happy at being put down and made it known by getting into Dagur's face, meowing loudly for attention.

It was then it dawned on him. "You made all this?"

"Sure did! Ordering out would have been fine, but most places are closed Sundays and those that aren't don't have very good food. And I could have made something here, but I remember you telling me you only know a few basic recipes so I figured you wouldn't have much stuff to work with... right?" A look of mild panic crossed Dagur's eyes at his assumptions, probably hoping he hadn't embarrassed Hiccup or thought wrongly, and picked up Toothless once more.

The auburn chuckled and felt his cheeks flush pleasantly at how well Dagur was coming to know him. "Yes. Thank you." He took the containers and stacked them in the almost empty fridge. "But how do I know your cooking will be any better?" He raised a mischievous eyebrow, smirking. He knew Dagur could cook, heard him talk about it before, but never once had he tried it. He never got the chance to until now.

Dagur gaped at him accusingly before using one hand to grab and shove the box with what Hiccup suspected were the crepes. "Try these then if you'll be so kind."

The auburn giggled as he took the box, opening them up to see that indeed it was the crepes and they still felt warm. Fresh, Hiccup thought with a grin and took in a deep wiff, sighing at the pleasant smell. He picked one up carefully in his hand, trying not to spill any of its contents, and took a bite. He closed his eyes and slowly chewed to savor it, enjoying the sweet taste of chocolate and raspberry mixed together between a thin but fluffy wrap. A hum of pleasure escaped him when he swallowed and took another bite, opening his eyes to see a triumphant grin spread across Dagur's face. 

"Never doubted you for a second," Hiccup said honestly, food still in his mouth that he had pushed into his cheek to speak. He grabbed another and held it out for Dagur to take one as well, going against the urge to hog it all. "Shall we take this to the living room and get started?"

"Lead the way." Dagur took one and followed Hiccup to the couch, cat still tucked in one arm, and sat down while eating his crepe. Toothless wiggled himself free so he could lay vertically along the redhead human's chest and stomach, face almost touching Dagur's. His purring was rather loud and Hiccup could feel the vibrations from his spot on the couch. "Show me what all the hype is about."

...

It was late in the night when Hiccup finished the first game, surprising Dagur how quickly he went through it. It may have been a while since the auburn last played but it was like getting back on a bike, remembering where everything was, where to go, and used Dagur to write down the codes for him when needed. He got the good ending, making him smirk even though he already knew the outcome before hand. Hiccup probably would have finished it sooner if he hadn't taken any breaks, but Dagur wouldn't allow him to play anymore until he ate properly and made sure Hiccup drank plenty of liquids. The redhead also made him take breaks to rest his eyes, not wanting the auburn to strain them too much. The food was delicious, the company amazing, and now the two of them vowed every other Sunday would be game days. 

Hiccup put away the game station and console, stomach rumbling for a late night snack. His hands were cramping up and his eyes sore, but he could care less right now with how happy he felt, answering all of Dagur's excited questions about the game. The redhead now agreed that the movies were absolute shit. They both blinked when Hiccup turned on the kitchen lights, having gotten used to the TV being the only light source for a while now, and the auburn rubbed the heel of his palms against his eyes. When he opened them again, Dagur was staring at him in concern; they must be blood shot.

"Ok, next time, we're not gonna play for very long. Three hours max. Your eyes look terrible," Dagur said, more like commanded, and stood up from the couch. Toothless' tail barely twitched from where he laid on the back of the couch where Dagur's shoulders once resided against. 

"It was fun, though, hadn't played in a long while," Hiccup replied tiredly, yawning widely. "I'm surprised my parents hadn't thrown it all out." His dad used to complain about the auburn's junk taking up precious space in the garage whenever he went over for a visit, threatening to throw it away every time. "Thanks for coming even though we spent the day focused on a TV."

Dagur huffed out a chuckle and grinned just as tiredly back; Hiccup's eyes weren't the only ones blood shot. "Getting to spend time with you, wether or not words are shared, is all I could ever ask for. I had fun too. Thanks for inviting me."

Hiccup smiled shyly and felt a small blush creep across his cheeks, still standing in the kitchen. A comfortable silence fell upon them as they stood there, facing each other from different rooms, and watching the other; taking each other in. A confused mew broke it and Hiccup moved fully into the kitchen, asking,

"Do you want to take any of the left overs home?" The auburn opened the fridge to grab a few of the containers.

"Nah, you can have them. Already got plenty of leftovers at home," came Dagur's mumbled reply, purring soon followed. "Just give back the containers when you're done."

Hiccup replaced the food and grabbed a bottle of water instead, a little irritated that all his beer was already gone. He's surprised that none of them were drunk. "Ok, thank you." He made his way back to the living room and saw the redhead was cuddling Toothless again, the feline enjoying the attention. Damn animal acted like he was touch starved.

"I guess it's time for me to head home," Dagur grumbled in disappointment, sitting the cat back down on the couch. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Dentist appointment in the morning then I have to head to Uncle Gobber's tackle shop to help set up his new computer." Hiccup paused in his walking once he was in front of the other, maybe a foot or so separating them. He shushed Toothless when the cat began crying for Dagur, pawing at his arm. Dagur snickered and raised his hand to pet the feline. "You want to go out for dinner tomorrow?"

A bright smile lit up Dagur's face at the question, face flushed. "Sounds good! You're paying though since you asked this time."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, but agreed. Truthfully, he didn't mind. Dagur was usually the one to pay for their meals, not allowing the auburn to protest; saying it was because he was the one who had asked. And Dagur was always the one to ask him out to lunch or dinner, whatever their schedules allowed, and this was the first time Hiccup asked out the other. To the redhead being the one to be asked out must be the confirmation he needed to know that Hiccup was still invested in dating him whenever they were ready.

"I'll pick you up at the shop around seven-thirty," Hiccup said as he ran his fingers over his bangs to drag them away from his face, only for them to spring back into place. A trim would be needed soon.

"Alrighty. I'll see you tomorrow." Dagur gave Toothless one last scratch and tucked a renegade lock behind Hiccup's ear, his grin softening. "Oh! One last thing, do you have Facebook?"

Hiccup was a bit startled from the sudden exclamation and moved his head back from where it was trying to lean into Dagur's hand that was no longer there. "Yeah, why?"

"It's just we've known each other for almost a month and I've never thought to ask you. I forgot I had one."

"I've been so preoccupied with work and spending time with you that I honestly forgot I had one as well."

They both snickered and grinned sheepishly at each other, a sudden unsureness coming between. Dagur decided to take the chance to head home before it moved on to anything awkward and the two bid each other goodnight. Hiccup let out a sigh and headed for the bathroom to get ready for bed, bringing his bottled water. He did his nightly routine before he sliding under the covers, phone in hand. The auburn logged in to his Facebook account to send Dagur a friend invite only to see the redhead had beat him to it. He accepted and clicked on the redhead's account to do a little snooping, knowing Dagur would most likely do the same.

Pictures were the first thing he saw, ones the Dagur had taken recently of them at the beach and had uploaded them sometime this morning. He grinned at their muddy selfies, smiles bright and faces pressed closed together; his glasses gone to keep safe from the clay (it was a bitch to clean his prosthetic later that day). A dried hand print was smeared across Hiccup's cheek and Dagur had a heavy dose of it on his forehead and hair from where the auburn's handful of clay had landed. A few of them were of Dagur sliding across the field of the stuff or slipping into a rather wet pile after handing his phone to Hiccup. There were also a lot of the auburn, though most of them candid shots. Hiccup laughing with his eyes closed. Hiccup looking out into the sea, body covered head to toe in mud in different variations of dryness. Hiccup posing for Dagur. Hiccup getting smacked in the face with a mud ball. And then there was the last one, his face reddened deeply as he remembered it. 

Dagur wanted one last selfie of them before they went home, bringing Hiccup in close by hooking an arm around the auburn's waist. As Hiccup was widening his smile, showing teeth, Dagur pressed his lips against the auburn's dirty cheek. The redhead captured the look of surprise on his face; eyes wide and mouth slack. After it was taken, Dagur danced away with a maniacl laugh, leaving behind a still stunned Hiccup. The auburn remembered the way his heart stuttered in his chest and how hot his face became beneath the layer of clay. Once the shock had worn off, he had ran after Dagur and shouted a few threats of bodily harm that sounded weak even to his own ears. But the spot where he had been kissed burned pleasantly for days afterwards, remembering the heat of those lips on his skin.

Hiccup smiled softly and clicked like, tagging himself in the pictures. He scrolled down the newly made album some more and found a few a more pics of him and Dagur, Hiccup looking more tense in each one the more he went down. He clicked back and began to scroll down the redhead's page, barel going anywhere when he reached a post that dated a few days after Mother's Day. There was a picture of him riding his bike with Toothless sitting up in the front basket. It was a side view of him, glasses askew and the hood of his jacket slipping down his head, and looked to be taken from across the street. Above it, it said 'I don't think I've ever seen something quite spectacular like a cat riding a bike with his human. A hot one at that.' Hiccup ignored the comments like he did with the other pictures and suddenly felt shy, biting his bottom lip.

After a moment he clicked on the comments to type down 'And I've never seen a guy run a flower shop that looked quite as handsome as you.' He hit post before he could second guess himself and exited out of the app, tossing his phone onto his nightstand. He pressed his hands into his face and let out a whine, wondering what the hell was he doing. If Dagur was with him now, he would have never have said those things out loud. But behind a screen, he felt the confidence he hardly had in public and couldn't see the redhead's reaction nor could he see Hiccup's either. But then the sudden realization that he made that comment where everyone could see, including his FRIENDS and, oh Thor, his PARENTS, had him pale in horror. So many questions were going to be had by everyone on his friend's list, many of them too nosy for their own good. 

"Fuck..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, silent hill are some of the best games I grew up watching my older siblings play. Caused terrible nightmares but oh well. I'm not much of a horror fan like the rest of my family, fucking psychos, especially anything demonic or with bugs or is unnecessarily gory. Anyways, drop a comment or kudo, show the love.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who have taken the time to read and drop a kudo, it really makes me happy and inspire me.
> 
> foest97: thank you so much for your comments and concern. I had written this story all out before I started posting it to make sure this was something I wanted to do and not disappoint everyone if I didn't. I take a few days to edit between each chapter, it's why I'm posting so quickly.

"Are you sure you're computer was 'wonking' out on you this morning 'cause it seems to be working just fine for me," Hiccup mumbled as he typed on a keyboard, eyes staring at the new flat computer screen he remembered recommending a while ago. The computer seemed to run just as smoothly since he last worked on it minus a few viruses that he easily got rid of.

"Really? I must have sworn it was goin' absolute berserk this mornin'," came a reply from a heavily Scottish voice from behind him, the shock fake. Hiccup just knew the other was smirking.

"Uncle Spitelout, why did you really call me here?" Hiccup swiveled the computer chair so he was facing the rather large man standing a little ways from him. His uncle was similar in his father's body build, but had black and white peppered hair peeking out from beneath a well used ball cap with the man's store's logo and a light shade of blue eyes, a thick heard covering his sun kissed face. Spitelout certainly did have a smirk on his face.

"A little birdie told me that ye have been gettin' awfully close to a certain redheaded flower shop owner, boyo."

"Oh gods..." Hiccup groaned and dropped his head into his hands, rubbing his face. 

This wasn't the first talk he had about Dagur, friends he hadn't heard from in a while suddenly calling him or commenting on the pictures he was tagged in. Dagur thankfully stayed quiet about the whole thing despite the curiosity written on his face, taking in Hiccup's embarrassment whenever someone texted or called him while he was with the redhead. He did tease Hiccup about the handsome comment the auburn left and Hiccup blankly replied he was drunk. Dagur didn't believe him for a second, but left it at that. Out of all the conversations he's had with his friends and family, the one with his mom was the most pleasant as she didn't pry and expressed her happiness for him. And one of the good things to come out of this was that he found himself connecting with them again.

"A bit of a handsome one at that," the man continued, his tone light and teasing. "How long have ya two been datin', hm?"

"We're not dating." Not yet was left unsaid.

"Is that so? Why in Odin's name not? Valka showed my wife who then showed me several pictures of ya two and ye look quite happy in them. Both of ya do. I may have never met him, but I trust yer instincts on who ye trust enough to add to yer circle of friends." Spitelout nodded, agreeing with himself and moved closer to his nephew to place a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, smiling. "Listen boyo, I may not know what's goin' on in that genius brain of yers, but I-all of us want to see ye happy. I think I said everythin' I needed."

Hiccup's eyebrows rose. Out of all the things he was expecting to hear from his uncle, this wasn't among them. He felt warm with happiness at the man's acceptance and let loose a tiny smile, a small quirk to his lips. "Thanks... Wait, did you fake a computer emergency just to tell me all that?"

"Aye, only way to get ye here. But that man deserves a medal for draggin' ye away from looking like a ghost and puttin' a smile back on that face." Spitelout ruffled his hair with a smirk. "Now why don't ye go back and visit the lady of the house? She just baked a fresh batch of cookies."

Hiccup opened his mouth to decline, but cookies made by Mrs. Jorgenson sounded appealing. He quickly checked the time on the computer, only been there for less than twenty minutes, before standing up and grabbing his bag. "I guess I got enough time to drop by and say hello for a bit."

"Thatta boy! Make sure ye tell Jaya all about that man of yers while yer at it." The man gave Hiccup's shoulder a small shove towards the back of the shop. "Oh, before I forget, Snotlout will be visitin' next week, bringin' his wee girlfriend with him."

"Ah, Minden."

"Yes, and sometime while he's here we'll have a family meal with yer parents. Maybe ye could bring yer man along as well," Spitelout suggested with a wink before shooing him off. "Just somethin' to think about. Now off with ya before Jaya thinks I scared ya off."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and walked towards the back towards a private door, stairs hidden behind it. That talk with his uncle was something else and threw him for a loop, not used to this side of Spitelout. The man was gruff and teased him mercilessly growing up about his size and looks, but it always had an undertone of endearment that Hiccup hadn't picked up on until he was almost an adult. Spitelout had grown soft over the years due to his lovely wife and the overbearing need to make his son like him was all but gone, allowing Snotlout to follow his own path. The need to impress his brother-in-law also seemed to dissipate, helping Spitelout to stop making foolish decisions for the sake of making him look good, if not better, to Stoic. Spitelout now spent most of his time in the hardware shop, sometimes selling his wife's cookies on the side for extra income that wasn't really needed. It was always best to have money on the side for safe keeping, he told Hiccup once. 

The auburn reached the top of the stairs and inhaled deeply, the smell of baked goods wafting into his nose. 

...

Hiccup took off his glasses to clean them, using his sweater to wipe off the fog from the glass; he was going to have to treat them soon. Taking them off so often was becoming unpractical and annoying, making him stop his bike every time he needed to clear them. He finally stopped riding his bike after the fourth time and just walked along side it. He slipped his glasses back on and prayed the clouds would hold off just a little while longer, just until he reached Dagur's place. After the storm, things were starting to warm up a bit with each passing week with a few showers here and there. It would be another month, however, before none stop rain would come and those warm days would lessen until winter was upon them. Maybe this year they'll be lucky to have a longer summer, but he doubted it.

Spitelout's suggestion of inviting Dagur to a family meal was still rattling around in his head and the thought of introducing the redhead to his parents brought nervous butterflies to his stomach. His mother was rather excited for him and did mention she would like to meet the man who holds Hiccup's interest. His father was hesitant and little more reserved, probably still upset with the whole Eret thing. Valka was too, but she hid it well behind smiles and cheerful attitudes, which he was grateful for. Hiccup was getting tired of people tiptoeing and acting very concerned about him finding someone else already while congratulating him at the same time. So far, his mom and uncle are the only ones who have fully supported him in this newfound friendship with Dagur that everyone knew was working its' way into a relationship. He knew his friends and family were worried about him after Eret broke up with him and Hiccup knew they were hoping that this thing with Dagur would end out better than it had with his ex. It was getting annoying having people change from excited to concern about him and Dagur.

He felt a drop hit his cheek just as he was turning a corner onto Dagur's street, another hitting his nose. He groaned and hurried the rest of the way there just as a light sprinkle fell upon the island. It wouldn't be long before it would start to come down heavily and soak anything that stayed outside for too long. Hiccup saw the 'out to lunch' sign hanging in front of the door as he leaned his bike against the building, but knew it would be unlocked. Sure enough, the door opened for him, but he didn't hear the familiar jingle of the bells to tell the redhead of his arrival. He looked up and saw them missing. Apparently they weren't the only thing missing; Dagur was not behind the counter and there seemed to be no costumer to deal within the small space. Toothless was in his usual spot by the window, a few pots cleared for him, and didn't move to greet his human. But there was a strand of bells sitting rather close to the cat. Hiccup scoffed at the cold shoulder and let the feline stay where he was as he moved towards the back.

"Dagur?" he called out softly, not wanting to accidently scare the other. The sound of the door opening should have been enough noise anyways without the bells, unless the redhead was back in the fridge or in his office.

When he received no reply he opened the fridge door, finding it empty, before moving towards the office, finding light peeking out from underneath the door. The auburn raised his hand to knock on it, but froze when he heard what sounded like someone singing, the door muffling it. He lowered his hand and pressed his ear against the fake wood, straining to hear.

"...and with your admission that you'd feel the same. I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of, believe me."

Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed as familiar words reached his ears, thinking the redhead must have left the radio on, some old station playing. But then he noticed there wasn't any music, just the singing. Quietly, he turned the knob and opened the door just enough for him to peek his head in, eyebrows rising high. Dagur was listening to music, but on his phone with buds in his ears, probably drowning out any other noise. So that would mean...

"I don't want to set the world on fire, I just want to start a flame in your heart," the redhead sang, his back to Hiccup, while on his computer doing bills, something he usually did on the computer in the shop. He had a piece of paper in one hand and was typing with the other before sitting it aside and grabbing another. "In my heart I have but one desire and that one is you, no other will do."

Hiccup's mouth went slack as he fully stepped into the room, closing the door behind him and leaning against it. Dagur's voice was... beautiful for the lack of a better word. The way he sang, pitch and tone perfect, was knee weakening and Hiccup felt his mouth go dry as desire welled up in him. It surprised him with how something as simple as singing could make Hiccup this way, having never been besotted by another's voice before. Or it could simply be that his attraction towards Dagur spiced up the affect of the redhead's singing. Whatever the occasion, Hiccup was enjoying it and he didn't want to stop the secret show. He stood there, arms crossed over his chest, and smiling lightly as the redhead stopped singing, having reached the end of the song. But it seemed he wasn't done as Dagur started humming along to the next song, the sound heart jerking.

"It's been such a long time, I think I should be goin', yeah. And time doesn't wait for me, it keeps on rollin'. Sail on, on a distant highway. I've got to keep on chasin' a dream, ye-ah!" Dagur jumped in his seat when he turned to the side to grab a hole puncher, catching Hiccup in his peripheral, surprised. "Hiccup? Wait, what time is it?" He checked the time on his computer and made a disgruntled noise. "It's noon already? Sorry, I lost track of time trying to catch up on work so I wouldn't have to worry about it later. I started my lunch break early-"

"I didn't know you could sing," Hiccup interrupted, raising an eyebrow at the flush creeping up Dagur's cheeks. The redhead suddenly looked shy at being caught and Hiccup felt his mouth tug into a wider grin.

"It's something I tend to keep to myself," Dagur replied as he rubbed the back of his neck, unable to look at the other.

"Why? You sound amazing!"

"I just don't like singing in front of others. Stage fright..."

Hiccup's eyebrows rose in disbelief at what he was hearing. Dagur and stage fright do not go together in the same sentence without the word 'not' being between them. From what Hiccup had learned from Dagur this past month was that the redhead did not shy away from the spotlight. He liked the attention and only panicked if something he did upset Hiccup. So something like being shy singing in front of others made him uncomfortable was hard to grasp.

"Seriously? Why?" Hiccup asked, not moving and keeping his gaze on the redhead.

"Just something I don't like. It's like a secret only my family knows and now you too. And singing in front of other people makes me nervous." Dagur spun around in his chair and began cleaning up his work mess, shutting off his computer. 

"You have such a lovely voice, though." The auburn didn't move when Dagur stood up and walked over to him to leave, but Hiccup placed a hand over the knob to keep him from escaping. "Since I know you can sing now would you do it for me?"

Dagur glanced away anxiously and rubbed at his neck again. "I don't know..."

"Only when you want to, of course. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want, I just really like your voice." Hiccup smiled gently when Dagur searched his face before locking eyes with the auburn. "I'll even sing along with you if you want, but fair warning, I'm terrible at it."

Dagur snorted out a small laugh and Hiccup's grin grew larger. "How about I get a kiss on the cheek for whenever I sing for you?"

"Deal."

"Wait really?" Dagur gave him a look of confused surprise, not expecting his quick reply.

"Sure, I think it'll be a fair trade. I know we're still easing ourselves towards relationship status, but I think this will help. Unless you were just joking..." Hiccup trailed off with a smirk.

"Nono! It's definitely a fair trade!" Dagur quickly cut in, the thought of being able to get a kiss, even if it is on the cheek, excited him.

"Good! So what do you feel like eating?" Hiccup drew away from the door, stepping into the redhead's personal space before turning around and opening the door, exiting the room. "I was thinking instead of going out we should order in since it's raining." He heard Dagur follow behind him and didn't stop until they were at the counter before facing the redhead, who looked a little taken back by what just happened, again.

"I was actually thinking of cooking you lunch today," Dagur replied quietly, seeming shy once more.

Hiccup was confused at first on why the other would be self-conscious about that since he's had Dagur's cooking several times now since the Sunday the redhead came over, but then he realized where they were and understanding came over him. Dagur wanted to bring him up to his living space to cook for him, but was embarrassed by what Hiccup would see and think. The auburn huffed out a small giggle and nodded, liking the idea of having Dagur cook for him again.

"That's sounds better than ordering in," Hiccup said as he walked over to Toothless, petting his head and bringing out a startled mew from him. "I can stay down here if you want."

"No, I want you to come upstairs with me... I want to spend as much time with you before we have to go back to work."

Hiccup grinned endearingly at this and felt the butterflies going crazy in his belly. "Ok. Lead the way."

Dagur lead the way to the back, opening the back door and groaned when he saw the rain. They rushed towards a metal staircase just beside the back exit and quickly ran up the stairs, Dagur unlocking the thick metal door to his place. They were pretty damp by the time they were inside again and Hiccup realized how much Dagur wasn't exaggerating about how small his place was. It was obviously supposed to be an extra office space with a bathroom as there was no bedroom or kitchen area, just a nice sized mini fridge on top of a fold out table beside two hotplates and a waffle iron. A double sized bed was pressed up against a corner of the room next to the bathroom door and underneath a window. There was no TV, but Hiccup saw a nice laptop sitting on top of the made bed, an empty cup sitting on the windowsill. Despite its' size, the place was homey and clean, Dagur being very particular to detail. 

"It's nice," Hiccup commented as he took off his wet coat, hanging it up on a hook on the door. "No, really it is," he added at the look the other gave him. "It's livable for the most part and it's just you in here. Plus you don't have neighbors you have to worry about with noise complaints." Hiccup walked over towards the window, which reached from wall to wall, standing at the foot of the bed. He then noticed the top space didn't completely cover the whole bottom half of the shop. It was like the top floor was cut in half, creating a small roofing area over the shop. That was odd.

"This extra space wasn't supposed to be more than an office or extra storage space, hence why they didn't create a whole second story," Dagur explained as he pulled a few items from the fridge and turned on one of the hot plates. He then opened a drawer from a plastic storage box beneath the table and pulled out a pan. "I know it's not much, but how does grilled cheese sound to you?"

Hiccup hummed in agreement as he turned away from the window. "That sounds amazing right now."

"Do you like tomato soup with yours? I made some the other day if you want some." Dagur looked over his shoulder questioningly as he reached for the fridge, but didn't open it as he waited for the auburn's answer.

"No, I'm not a big fan of tomato soup," Hiccup turned down as he made his way to stand by Dagur, unsure on where to sit. "I'll have some ranch though if you have any."

Dagur raised a brow at the request, but didn't comment on it. Instead he opened the fridge and pulled out a small bottle of some organic brand ranch dressing. Silence filled the room as he cooked each of them two grilled cheese sandwiches, cutting them diagonally. He handed Hiccup's his first and the auburn poured some ranch off to side of his plate, dipping one of the sandwich slices in it. Dagur watched curiously as he switched the hot plate off and did the same, making a pleasant face when he took a bite.

"Not bad," he commented, making Hiccup chuckle. "Sorry I didn't make anything special, I need to go grocery shopping soon."

Hiccup waved it away, not bothered by the simple meal. "Don't worry about it. I haven't had grilled cheese in so long and yours is the best so far. What kind of cheese do you use?"

"I used cheddar, of course, gouda, and monterey Jack cooked in butter mixed with garlic." Dagur looked pleased as he answered, devouring his first sandwich in only a few bites. 

Hiccup hummed again and enjoyed his second sandwich, waiting until they were both done before speaking again. "So my uncle faked a computer emergency this morning," he started when Dagur grabbed his plate and put both of theirs in the bathroom, probably where he would wash them.

"Oh yeah?" Dagur chuckled from the bathroom, the sound of the faucet turning on.

"He apparently wanted to speak with me without me running off at the first sign of him wanting to talk," Hiccup raised his voice so he could be heard, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. 

"What did he say?"

"Nothing much, just congratulating me in meeting you and being happy again."

Dagur walked back out with the newly washed and dried plates, setting them on top of the fridge. "Oh? Are you?" He tried to sound like it wasn't a big deal, but Hiccup could see the way he tensed slightly and started chewing on his bottom lip.

"Yes," the auburn answered honestly with a small smile. "And I have you to thank for that."

Dagur smiled, pleased, and looked like he was straining not to reach out to touch him. "Good, I'm glad. I would hate myself if I ever made you sad or hurt." His mouth drooped as a more serious tone settled in the room. "Hiccup, I care for you deeply and the thought of you ever getting hurt by me scares me. There are some things from my past I'm terrified to share with you for fear it might force you away from me and it scares me. I know I will have to tell you eventually, especially when we do start dating, and I know I need to tell you soon."

"I don't want you to tell me anything that you're not ready to share, even if it is something very serious," Hiccup interupted softly as his own smile dropped. "Unless it's something that'll put me in harm's way... It's not, is it?"

"No, gods no," Dagur rushed out breathlessly in reassurance, calming the anxiety that was building up in Hiccup.

"Ok. You tell me when you're ready and leave it at that, ok?"

"Ok."

"Ok," Hiccup unintentionally whispered and sighed, lowering his head. He felt nervous and shaky suddenly, not realizing how much hearing that from Dagur affected him. His heart was beating quickly and he felt hot beneath his shirt. "I'm scared too."

"Of what?" Dagur searched his face and didn't stop himself from raising a hand to finger back a few strands of hair from the auburn's forehead.

"Of falling in love with you," Hiccup breathed out, leaning his head into Dagur's hand, forcing the redhead to cup his cheek. Dagur's breath hitched at this, but kept quiet and Hiccup continued. "I'm scared that when," the auburn's nails dug into his hands when he said when and not if, "I fall in love with you, you might not reciprocate it and decide that we won't work. I'm terrified of having my heart broken again." He took a deep breath and grabbed the redhead's hands in both of his, holding them as he continued to look up into the other's eyes. "These past few weeks with you have been amazing, I've never been so happy in my life. But after Eret and everyone else in my life left, besides my family, I'm scared you're going to leave me too. I'm scared that you're going to find that I'm not what you wanted, that I'm not worth it. It terrifies me, because I am falling for you. I've barely thought of my last failed relationship because my mind is filled with nothing but you. I want to be with you, but my fright is holding me back. I still feel raw from the breakup, but it's healing. Faster than it was before."

A finger touched Hiccup's lips, keeping him from continuing, and Dagur's head dropped, hiding his face from the auburn. The redhead swallowed audibly before taking a breath and looking back up, eyes filled with adoration and understanding. Dagur let go of Hiccup's hands to cup the auburn's face, a thumb absentmindedly rubbing a cheek. Right then, Hiccup wanted nothing more than to kiss the other and it hurt to keep himself from doing so. He couldn't let himself get distracted from an important conversation that probably wasn't done yet.

"Oh Hiccup," Dagur whispered shakily, lips tugging up into a soft smile. "Me too."

Their lips were bare inches a part, so close to touching that all Hiccup had to do was tilt his chin and they would be pressed together. But neither moved, breath fanning over cheeks, and eyes closed. They stood like that for a few long moments, Dagur's hands still holding Hiccup's face and pressing his glasses uncomfortabley against his temples. Hiccup raised his own hands to grip Dagur's hips, wanting to kiss him oh so badly that it physically hurt when the redhead pulled away, dropping his hands back to his sides. Hiccup took a little longer to let go, reluctant to do so, and took a step back when he did.

"I really want to kiss you right now," Hiccup mumbled while trying to calm himself, still breathing shakily.

"Believe me, I do too," Dagur chuckled. "But I'm afraid if we do, we won't stop. And I don't want to have sex before we're actually together. You deserve better than that."

Hiccup blushed at the thought of having sex with the other and gulped thickly. "Ok." He looked down and his brows rose at the redhead's tented pants. "At least I know I have such an affect on you." He giggled when Dagur look down and hid behind a hand with a groan.

"You're not any better," Dagur argued with a pointed look at Hiccup's own trapped erection.

The auburn snickered and didn't try to hide his own. "I think I should get going."

"Probably for the best. I need to get back to work anyways." Dagur appeared disappointed yet relieved at the prospect of Hiccup leaving. "I can drive you if you want so you don't have to walk back in the rain."

"Nah, I think a nice walk in the rain will be good for me. But you can walk me back to the door." Hiccup grabbed his jacket and slipped it back on.

Dagur nodded and put on his own jacket. He locked the door behind them and held out an elbow for Hiccup to grab, which the auburn took with a giggle. The redhead lead him back down and through the shop, only letting go when they reached the counter. Toothless, who had been running around the shop and yowling for them, ran towards them and jumped up onto the counter, looking for attention. Dagur chuckled and gave the cat what he wanted, drawing out purrs from the feline. 

"I'll text you to let you know I got home safely," Hiccup said as he scooped up Toothless, bumping his head against the cat's when he moved forward to do so. "And if you're not too busy next week, my cousin is coming to town for a visit and we'll have a family get together and my uncle invited you to come. My aunt wants you to come as well. But only if you want to." He quickly added the last part in reassurance when the other gave a look of surprise and uncomfortableness.

"I'll think about it. Just let me know when a date is made and I'll give you an answer then," Dagur replied, relaxing.

Hiccup nodded and lean forward to kiss Dagur on the cheek, needing to press his lips on the other somewhere. He lingered a moment before pulling back, grinning at the flush and wide smile on Dagur's face. "I'll see you later."

"Bye freckles."

Hiccup carried his cat to the door and took a second to take the sign down from the door for Dagur, setting it on the counter. The redhead thanked him and Hiccup left before he tried kissing Dagur again and not on the cheek. Toothless growled at the raining beating down on them and Hiccup unzipped his jacket to slip Toothless inside before zipping it back up, cradling the bottom of his jacket so the feline wouldn't slip out. He decided to leave his bike leaned up against the side of the building and walked back to his apartment, Toothless purring happily inside his warm shelter. The auburn's mind was reeling at what he learned today and his heart was not willing to calm down, too scared and excited at the prospect that Dagur was falling for him too. It was frightening and amazing at the same time, but good. He was... happy, but not quite ready. Dagur understood, felt the same even, and it was a load off the auburn's chest.

Hiccup took in several controlled breaths and hurried his steps along, the rain soaking through his shoulders and he was starting to become cold. The smile wouldn't leave his face though and he thought for a moment he would start skipping. Toothless would probably scratch him if he started jostling him around too much. Hiccup giggled to himself, drawing a frown from a passerbyer who was unlucky enough to get caught in the rain, and thought back on the events during his short visit with Dagur. The redhead could sing and was shy about it which was adorable, he liked Hiccup just as much as he liked Dagur, the man could make a mean grilled cheese sandwich, and the redhead loved Toothless which the cat readily returned. It almost seemed like he found the perfect guy, but that was what he thought of Eret when they first started dating.

Hiccup's alighted mood fell at that, his good thoughts taking a turn. What if what he and Dagur felt for each other was nothing more than puppy love than actual feelings? What if it faded away after awhile and it turned out there was nothing really there than lust and possible friendship? What would happen if that turned out to be true? Would they continue to be friends with maybe a more physical side to it? Or would they go back to being merely acquaintances? All these questions and no answers was making him panic, giving him an unwanted headache as his feet slowed. He was becoming wetter by the minute and if he didn't get home soon, so would Toothless. But his feet were dragging and he no longer wanted to go home where he would be alone with his damaging thoughts.

His phone suddenly chimed, startling him, and he quickly freed a hand to grab it. He had a text from Dagur and he didn't hesitate to open it, needing to see what the redhead sent. 

*Hey, I don't know if you'll read this any time soon, but I wanted to accept your uncle's invitation. Doesn't matter what day it is. I want to meet your family, see the people who raised you and get to know them. If I'm gonna be your boyfriend some day, might as well and see what I'm getting myself into*-D Wink emoji and smiley face.

Hiccup burst into a grin and slipped his phone back into his pocket, speeding up his walk. All sad thoughts gone, Eret removed from his mind, and replaced with that of a certain redhead with a beautiful voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs: I Don't Want to Set the World on fire by the Ink Spots
> 
> Longtime/Foreplay by Boston
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this and leave a comment or kudo.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost got this done in time for yesterday, would have been cool to give you guys an extra chapter this week. But there's still two more days do maybe you'll still get that extra chapter. Thanks for all the love guys, really appreciate it.

He loved his job, he really did. Loved working on computers and being able to fix whatever problems his 'patients' had. Whether it be electrical or technical, he could do it and was very good at it too. But what Hiccup Haddock did not love was when he had to work on a costumer's computer at their home/office and said costumer had a problem with talking. It was very distracting and Hiccup could not get away from it no matter how much he wanted to. He was stuck sitting in an office (wasn't really, just a small space with a tall counter that formed three fourths of a square) working on a regular's computer with a man babbling away at him and his voice was oh so irritating at this point in time. The costumer said his work computer was acting up and slowing down, needing it fixed within an hour. So here Hiccup was at eight in the morning with no food or coffee in him, having gotten the call twenty minutes before that.

He hadn't been there long before figuring out the machine was full of viruses. The man had no proper protection in place and a quick look at the history showed many... erotic internet website searches. Hiccup rolled his eyes, drowning out the other the best he could and began fixing the problem. It didn't help that the sounds of clanging metal and grunts echoed the large space around him, sounding louder than they should have been. One man on a pull up bar was being very enthusiastic, cheering himself on as a much smaller man sat on the guy's feet, holding on to his legs and being lifted up with him. Someone else was being none too careful with a Smith machine and the weights crashing back down hurt his ears. The music too was obnoxious and loud and Hiccup had to clench his jaw to keep from yelling for everyone to shut up.

Hiccup rubbed his temples and closed his eyes for a moment ten minutes later, all the noises clashing together becoming a bit too painful. As he tried to will away the upcoming headache, something was set on the desk beside his left elbow. He opened his eyes and found a bottle of fruit punch flavored BodyArmor and a bottle of Advil had been given to him. He then looked up to see the costumer grinning down at him sheepishly; Hiccup hadn't even noticed the guy had stopped talking and left.

"Thanks," the auburn said while trying to give a smile of his own, but it couldn't quite reach his eyes. He opened the juice, took a sip before taking a few pills, swallowing thickly.

"Yeah man, it's the least I could do for waking you up," the guy, Bjorn Hiccup recalled, replied with a shrug. "Late night?"

"No, just hard to function before coffee." Hiccup kept the small smile on his face to show he wasn't upset, knowing the other was actually a really nice guy and didn't deserve the auburn's hostility.

Bjorn laughed. "I hear that. We do have some chilled coffee if you'd prefer that."

"No, I'm ok. This will do just fine." Hiccup turned his attention back to the computer after a few more gulps of his juice, the coolness of it helping some.

"So what's the verdict?" Bjorn moved around the desk to stand behind Hiccup, looking over his shoulder which the auburn did not like.

"Lack of proper protection and lots of viruses."

"What? I uploaded the recommended protection package and what could have caused so many viruses?" Bjorn sounded genuinely confused and disgruntled.

Hiccup didn't know who or what recommended the package to the guy since he never told him before what type he should get and the one Bjorn had was terrible. "Well they told you the wrong one. And probably tell your employees to wait until they're home to watch porn."

The man behind him made a choking sound before yelling, "Asger!" and stomped away to find this Asger. It was clear Bjorn knew exactly who to blame.

Finally having a few moments to himself without a talkative distraction behind him, Hiccup plugged in his software to clean out the viruses and make the computer run like new. While he waited, he went into the men's locker room to use the toilet and splash some cold water over his face to wake him up a bit more. Dried off and a little more alert, Hiccup left the room only to stop at the sight of a familiar redhead. 

Dagur was off in his own little corner of privacy behind some machines and in the middle of some warm up exercises, back to Hiccup. The auburn could see Dagur clearly from where he stood and bit his lip when the redhead moved down into a side lunge, reaching down as he did so and forcing him to push his ass out. The shorts the other was wearing tightened around his well sculpted glutes and Hiccup let out a quiet whine. Dagur then moved onto backward lunges and leaned to the side with one arm raised as he switched from side to side. The muscles in his back rippled beneath his tank with each movement and Hiccup had to force himself to stay where he was to keep himself from walking over and grabbing handfuls of ass. The auburn felt his temperature rise the more he watched the other and he still had work to do for Odin's sake!

While disappointing, he was also happy he hadn't been able to see Dagur these past several days as Hiccup's work load doubled for he would not be able to keep his hands to himself if he and the redhead were alone together. After the two of them explained their feelings and came close to kissing, Hiccup's physical attraction for Dagur rocketed and found it hard to keep his thoughts of the redhead from going somewhere dirty. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Hiccup's work load piled up since then, as if all the electronics in Berk decided to act up suddenly and he was the only resident in Berk who knew how to fix it. It was more expensive and time consuming to have someone from another island come to their's so almost all of Berk relied on Hiccup. 

It had been like that since he came home from college four years ago, finishing in two rather than the normal four. Those were a tough two years, cramming everything he needed to know within that time frame and not seeing his family during that time. But it was worth it, getting to come home sooner and get started on his business at an early age. Once word got around that Hiccup was tech savvy, it became difficult to have any sort of time to himself for a while back then as he made a name for himself. But then he had to set some boundaries and started accepting only so much so he could have a proper evening and at least one or two days off. Wait, what was he doing again? 

Hiccup's eyes focused back on Dagur, who had now moved on to the dumbbells and began a high intensity workout with them, still not having noticed the auburn. Right, he was watching Dagur and losing focus on what he was doing here originally. But it was so hard to turn away from the sight before him and Hiccup wished he was those pants right now. Or shirt. It didn't matter as long as he was pressed up against the other. Hiccup bit his finger to hold back a groan when Dagur bent into a squat and started some tricep lifts, the 'light weights' on the heavier side. The auburn bet that Dagur could lift him over his head easily if he wanted to and hell did that image send heat to his groin.

"Hey! Well if it isn't Hiccup!" a female voice exclaimed, clapping a hand over Hiccup's right shoulder. His name being called startled both him and Dagur, the redhead almost losing his footing. "Long time no see! Come to join the team again?"

Hiccup jerked his head to the brown haired woman standing beside him just as Dagur turned his gaze over towards them. "N-no, just here on official business."

"Oh right on. But if you're in need of a personal trainer again don't be afraid to call for me, a'ight?" She smiled widely at him, dripping with sweat, but not looking like she was done yet. "And it's nice to see you're no longer feeling self-conscious about that leg anymore. Looking good!" She punched his arm lightly and jogged away to another part of the gym.

Hiccup jerked his head down to see he was still in the shorts he wore to bed last night, showing off his prosthetic. He had been so tired and in a rush to get to the gym that he hadn't realized he was still in his sleepwear. He immediately looked around the place only to see no one was paying any attention to him, too focused on themselves. Well other than Dagur that is, catching his eyes. The redhead was still going through his workout, but was now facing him; still doing the lifts in a squat. When Dagur noticed that Hiccup was looking at him again, he jerked his head for the auburn to go over to him. Hiccup glanced around for Bjorn, the owner of the place still missing, before walking over towards the redhead. His heart skipped and his cheeks flushed when Dagur smirked at him.

"I would ask if you're stalking me, but that would be too much of a dream come true if it was," Dagur grunted out, sweat beading on his forehead, and the smirk never left his face. "So what you fixing here today?"

"Business computer," Hiccup replied with a shrug, openly admiring the other. "Someone's been watching too much porn without proper protection. Now it has its' own form of internet transmitted diseases."

Dagur dropped his weights loudly as he let out a surprised manicle laugh, a dumbbell almost falling on his foot. "Did you just come up with that?"

"No, took me a while to come up with it," the auburn admitted, but still pleased Dagur found it funny. Not very many did and he often received the stink eye or a blank stare. "I'm not that good with jokes."

"Well at least you don't have to worry about making a living off of it." Dagur grabbed the dumbbells once more and dropped back into a seated squat, pulling the weights up in dead man lift. "How long is it going to take?"

"It should be done by now, but I have to wait for Bjorn so I can recommend to him the proper software for his computer and bill him." Hiccup looked around once more and Bjorn was still nowhere to be seen. It was possible the man got caught up in something else and forgot about the auburn or he was still reprimanding Asger, either way Hiccup was stuck here until the owner came back. Which wasn't all that bad as Dagur was here to entertain him while he waited. "I can pretend it's a long process and hang out here until you're done. If that's alright, don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"I don't mind." Dagur grinned brightly at the other before it morphed into a smirk at Hiccup's heated gaze. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Immensely," the auburn blurted, turning deep red in embarrassment. But the other seemed happy at Hiccup's attention and the auburn felt the courage to ask, "Do we really need to wait to kiss each other?"

Dagur's eyes dilated at this, wanting it just as much as Hiccup. But he looked pained as he answered, "Yes, because we both know it won't stay a kiss. We're still working through the pain of past relationships and agreed to wait until we're absolutely sure this is what we both want." He stopped and set the weights down on the floor before straightening up, the heat in his eyes cooling. "Trust me Hiccup, I want nothing more than to kiss you and strip you naked. But I want more than just sex from you just as you want the same from me. So no kissing on the lips until we're positively sure that this thing going on between us is more than just some teenage crush. Ok?"

Hiccup let out a deep sigh of disappointment even though he agreed. "Ok."

"Good. So do you still want to watch me or will me flexing my muscles be too much for you?" the redhead chuckled teasingly before curling his arms up to flex his biceps.

Hiccup let out a strangled noise and used both hands to push Dagur's chest, barely making him move. "Shut up! I was going to ask you to come with me for some coffee afterwards, but now maybe I'll just finish my work already and leave."

The redhead wasn't perturbed by the empty threat and smiled widely at him, dropping his arms back to his sides. "Coffee with you sounds nice. Give me forty minutes if you're willing to wait. I won't be talking much though once I get into the zone."

"Then I'll just have to for both of us, I guess. I'm sure I can figure out something to talk about." The auburn quirked his lips into a small smile, eyes mischievous as he thought of paying the redhead back by giving some dirty talk while Dagur was in a difficult balancing stance. However, Hiccup knew it would backfire as he too would become comprised and kept it to himself. 

Dagur watched him with a raised brow, seeing several questionable expressions cross Hiccup's face before the auburn settled on something neutral after clearing his throat and his head. "Do your parents know I'm coming over Thursday?" Dagur asked as he replaced the weights with a lighter pair.

"Yes, mom is very excited to meet you and dad's... sceptical?" Hiccup answered, tying to figure out the best way to explain his dad's weariness of the redhead. "Dad's been a little overprotective of me since Eret so he's worried, I guess," he added when Dagur furrowed his brows at him confusedly. 

"Do *I* need to be worried?" The redhead began shifting back and forth on the balls of his feet before going through a series of punches and uppercuts, the quality of them amazing Hiccup.

"No, everything's going to be fine and interesting I'm sure." Especially if Snotlout was his same old self. He and Dagur meeting is certainly a thing Hiccup was unsure of how it would go. Hopefully Minden had been able to rein in his cousin's attitude since they started dating. Hiccup has only met her through a screen a few times, but she seems nice and Snotlout utterly adores her. 

"Interesting isn't very reassuring," Dagur panted as he added a few side kicks, his form making Hiccup gulp.

"Just don't worry about it. I'll keep my cousin in line if his girlfriend can't, aunt Jaya will keep an eye on my uncle, and I'm positive mom will make sure dad stays on his best behavior. If there's one thing mom and aunt Jaya are good at is making guests feel welcomed." The auburn's eyes couldn't stick to one place as he spoke, traveling over the redhead's body and feeling himself become aroused once more. Maybe sticking around and watching Dagur wasn't such a good idea after all as his mouth was starting to water and his words were starting to slur towards the end.

Dagur was too focused on what he was doing to notice and his face was one of severe concentration. He nodded however to let Hiccup know he had heard and switched sides. Hiccup wondered if the other would notice if he stopped talking all together and sat down to watch. There was nothing he wanted to talk about anyways, not when his brain was too distracted to think properly, and he sat down crossed legged on the floor, resting his elbows on his thighs and his head in his hands. The mixture of punches slowly morphed into series of kicks and Dagur looked like he belonged in a ring. Did Dagur ever fight in one before? Now the image of the redhead as a professional MMA fighter was stuck in his head and it was... hot.

"Ah there you are! I thought you left," Bjorn's voice was a splash of cold against Hiccup's libido, drawing the auburn from his dirty thoughts. "Sorry I took so long, Asger is a hard person to track down and hard to get through to; had to threaten letting him go a few times. I see you've already met our new member."

"Hm? O-oh yes!" Hiccup cleared his throat as he stood up, hoping the flush to his cheeks would be mistaken by the heat of the gym and not from arousal. "Met him a month ago and we've kind of been friends since then."

"Really? That's good! He seems like a good guy," the blond smiled happily.

"He is, a really good guy," the auburn said softly without meaning to and a genuine smile of his own grew across his lips. "Well let's see if your computer is done." He quickly switched the topic when Bjorn raised a suspicious brow and made his way back to the desk, checking the process. "It's finished. You're all ready to go once you download a proper protection software."

"Thanks man, you're a lifesaver! My offer still stands; free membership for a year. The trainers miss having you around too." Bjorn was momentarily distracted and looked relieved that his computer was salvaged. It was almost time to update to something newer.

"I'll think about it," Hiccup answered as he wrote down several protection softwares from cheapest to most expensive. Maybe working out again would be helpful now that he had the time and motivation to do so. What little muscle he had built over the years had decreased quite a bit since his breakup with Eret and it must be very noticeable if the look Bjorn was giving his body was anything to go by.

"You better." Bjorn lightly punched Hiccup in the arm awkwardly, trying to be friendly. They may have a few short conversations from time to time, but they weren't anymore than aquaintances. "It's nice seeing you not hiding your leg too."

"I forgot I was wearing shorts to tell the truth." It felt nice not to hide, though, while people went about without a second glance his way. No pitying looks or overly curious gazes. "I'll send you the invoice tonight."

Bjorn looked put out and jutted his bottom lip in a small pout. "No trading this time?"

"If I decide to start working out here again within the year, I'll return your money. But for now I'll have to ask you to pay me properly." The auburn stood back up and found his juice still sitting at the desk. He grabbed it and took a large sip from it.

"Alright. Let me know when you change your mind."

"Will do." 

Bjorn took his spot back at the desk and looked at the paper Hiccup had written, signifying the end of their conversation. Taking his chance to escape, Hiccup made his way back to Dagur just in time to watch him cool down. The redhead was currently stretching his quads, holding out his free arm for balance before switching. Dagur's tank was soaked with sweat and his skin glistened, hair damp and no longer spiking up, and while he looked amazing like this, he did not smell all that pleasant. His eyes snapped to Hiccup once the auburn drew near and almost lost his balance when he saw it who it was; as if surprised by Hiccup's presence.

"Everything squared away?" Dagur asked once he regained his balance, moving on to stretch his calves.

Hiccup nodded. "I thought you said you needed forty minutes?" Surely that small conversation with Bjorn hadn't taken that long. "It's only been fifteen."

"I shortened my workout today. Got impatient once you offered me coffee." He grinned humorously, looking like he hadn't gone all out those last few minutes to make up for the loss in time.

"I didn't offer," Hiccup deadpanned, but a hint of a smile was working its' way through the mask. He had offered, just not directly, and he knew Dagur would make that as an excuse for the auburn to pay. "Besides you don't really drink coffee."

"Fine, I'll offer. Would you like to go get some tea and coffee? You're still paying though."

Hiccup cracked a smile and broke into a giggle, shaking his head. Right on the money. "Course I am."

"Then let me hit the showers and we can go." 

Dagur finished up his cool down and made his way to the men's locker room; he must have dropped off his stuff when Hiccup was in one of the stalls earlier. Ten minutes later the redhead sauntered out smelling fresh, hair damp and freshly shaven. His clothes had been changed to a simple pair of washed out jeans with a hole in the knee, a plain t-shirt, and an unzipped sweater; gym bag slung overs shoulder. Sneakers had been switched out for his boots and while he looked like any other stranger, to Hiccup he looked mouth watering.

"Ready to go?" Dagur asked once in front of the auburn, a small smile in place.

"Yup." Hiccup lead the way out, no one else stopping to greet him. It had been dark when he had first gotten to the gym, but now the sun was just starting to rise; rays of light creating long shadows. It wouldn't be long before the nights grew long and the days shorter and Hiccup dreaded at the thought of it. Hiccup shivered at the cold still clinging to the air as he grabbed his bike, walking it beside him. Dagur walked on his other side, pressing up close and into his personal space. He had forgotten how cool it was this morning after the first initial shock wore off while it was still dark, riding his bike hard kept him warm on his way to the gym.

"So..." Dagur started, trying to sound disinterested, "it seemed like you were pretty chummy with some of the people at the gym, especially that woman." 

Hiccup detected a hint of jealousy in the other's voice and held back a wry smirk before quickly frowning as he remembered exactly why he had started going to the gym in the first place. "After the whole leg... incident, I had to go into physical therapy and kind of never stopped going I guess. I started doing actual workouts once my leg got better and I always kept my leg hidden, so they were a bit surprised to see it today." He still felt a little self-conscious about it now as they walked out in the open where people were beginning to fill the sidewalk. "I stopped going after Eret and I broke up. The need to keep in shape felt pointless after that." He had become too depressed and the motivation to get him to do something he hated was gone.

"Does he work out at the gym too?"

Hiccup narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the other's question before looking back to the front to pay attention to where he was going. "Don't go making trouble where it isn't needed," he softly chided. "But no. He has a big enough place of his own for his own equipment. Said something about not trusting the cleanliness of the gym. Tried to get me to work out with him a few times... he would make a terrible personal trainer." He chuckled as he remembered how frustrated and then apologetic Eret would get about Hiccup not being able to keep up with him. The auburn never felt the need to build up mounds of muscles, strong enough without them, like Eret had. His ex never really understood why.

Dagur took a second to check the auburn over, gaze unguarded with nothing judgemental within it. "I think you look fine, more so now than when I first met you. Maybe some work with weights to tone out, no need to get excessive." He leaned in and staged whispered, "You wouldn't look all that great with a visique of a body builder anyways."

Hiccup snorted and elbowed the other playfully. "I feel like I should take offense to that but I don't."

"Good, because you're beautiful just the way you are freckles."

The auburn blushed and looked away as he smiled shyly, all thoughts of his leg fully forgotten. 

"They have beginners yoga on Saturdays. At the gym I mean," Dagur continued speaking, voice light and a wide grin set in place. "Could probably do you some good too. Help you loosen up the stress in your muscles." The grin morphed into something more lecherous when Hiccup glanced back towards him.

"You just want to see me in some compromising positions, don't you?" the auburn accused after a second, staring at the redhead with narrowed eyes. A grin was still in place, but it was no longer shy; almost just as lecherous as Dagur's.

"Yup." Dagur emphasized on the p, not even looking guilty about being caught.

"Maybe we shouldn't. Watching you workout today was hard enough, but seeing how flexible you are will do me in. I'm not that patient and seeing you in such strainous situations wouldn't be fair to my libido." Hiccup flushed as his tone became serious, no longer joking around.

Dagur saw the change and his gaze softened, not at all looking upset. "With an answer like that, how could I possibly be offended at being turned down. Probably for the best though."

"I'm sorry."

"For what? I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm the one who's been teasing you and then turning around saying no. Which is ironic 'cause I was the one hoping we would have a friends with benefits sort of relationship during the beginning of this whole courtship thing."

Hiccup giggled as he remembered that day, their first not date, and how disappointed Dagur was in not being able to get physical with the him. The redhead had tried to hide it, but Hiccup saw it, as well as the heat, want, and lust, that he's seen in Eret enough times to know what he was looking at. Dagur had given it when he asked him to take a yoga class with him, but now the redhead appeared guilty at how he had been playing with Hiccup; no matter how incidental it was. His giggle, however, eased Dagur's worries and the redhead smiled at him. A hand brushed against Hiccup's side, purposely or accidentally was uncertain, and the auburn shivered at the ticklish touch. Thankfully, Dagur hadn't noticed as he was too busy looking ahead and staring at a bakery (the one and only in Berk) just yards away.

Hiccup set his bike aside by the door and settled Dagur's mind in leaving his bag with it. No one was going to steal it anyways, not with the smell permating from it. The auburn received a small glare for that. The place was uncrowded and the two men were able to order a vanilla latte and a housemade tea high in caffeine along with a box of assorted pastries. The baked goods wouldn't be much, but it would hold them over until lunch as they didn't have enough time for a proper breakfast before work. Well Dagur didn't have enough time, Hiccup could choose when he wanted to work whenever he wanted. They sat down, split the pastries, and ate until they started to feel sick from the sugar.

Hiccup kissed Dagur's cheek on a whim as he said goodbye before licking it as payback, the redhead letting out a strangled noise and reached for him. Hiccup dodged away from the other's hands and hopped onto his bike for a quick getaway, chuckling the whole time he did so. Dagur swore behind him that he'll get the auburn back and Hiccup knew he would. During his ride home, he realized that he had forgotten to feed Toothless that morning. And when he entered his apartment, he was met with the rancid smell of bile on the welcoming mat; a large hairball in the middle of it.

He didn't like that mat anyways...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely hate working out. If it were possible to lay about without getting fat, I would do it. But nope, gotta pick out a PopSugar Fit video from YouTube every morning and get er done. 
> 
> I don't know much about computers or software so I don't know how much of it is correct, do constructive criticism is appreciated.
> 
> As always, show the love by dropping a kudo or comment!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looky here, two chapters in one day... sort of. It's an hour to midnight so barely. Finally getting some darkness back during the night so we can start pulling down the tinfoil. I'm joking, we don't use tinfoil to block out the sunlight, though I have seen other people do it during the summer. Anyways! Onwards my fellows!

"-but don't worry! Jaya and I are taking care of it as we speak!"

Hiccup sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose after pushing his glasses up to settle on the top of his head. Thor he was tired. "Ok dad, that's... good. Just go about it in a way where mom won't be suspicious or else she'll force you to eat her food for a week."

"Don't even joke about that son," Stoic deadpanned, no room for yanking his leg in his voice. "Do you remember the last time she cooked a meal?"

Hiccup sighed again as an answer.

"You got food poisoning and missed out on your junior prom."

"Wasn't like I was going to go anyways, just had a better reason not to." Hiccup settled his glasses back down his nose and adjusted the earpiece in his ear with a sudsy hand to lessen the pressure on certain areas before going back to finish his morning dishes. "Why not just tell her we're going out to eat so she won't have to worry about hosting?"

"Already tried that son, she's very persistent on making dinner tonight for the family. I even suggested that we go to the Jorgensons or have Jaya bring a meal here. I've been trying for a week to change her mind, but she's being a bit hardheaded."

"She's not the only one," Hiccup mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that. Look, just be prepared for whatever happens tonight if I don't get it figured out before then, yes?"

"Ok, fine, just please be careful... I don't want to hurt mom's feelings." Hiccup set the last dish on the drying rack beside the sink and wiped his hands on a dishrag. "I got to get back to work. I'll see you and mom tonight."

"Alright son. Is your boy still coming?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, but a small smile morphed on his lips as he made his way to the couch. "Yes, he is. Please don't embarrass him... or me for that matter."

"I'll try not to, but I can't make any promises for your mother. You know how she gets."

"Too well... Ok, bye dad."

"Bye son."

Hiccup hung up and tossed his phone onto the coffee table, falling onto the couch face first. Last night was... hard. Figuratively and physically. His night was plagued with wet dreams, filled with a certain redhead and his sweaty body. Hiccup was practically aching when he woke that morning and he barely had to touch himself before he was coming in his hand. But it wasn't enough. Arousal coursed through every fiber of his being and his nerves were shot with how on edge he was, needing the satisfaction of being touched by other than his own hand. The need to fill or be filled made his loins pulse with heat several times this morning, not even able to reach completion the last time as there was nothing left and his prick was raw from how much he had jerked off. Hiccup tried to go through his morning routines, but had to keep stopping in order to get rid of a little... problem. And despite sleeping through the night, he felt like he had been up all night... No pun intended.

Now his mind was focused on what his father was going to do in order to make sure no one suffered through his mother's cooking, which was better than being in constant arousal; the thought of his dad's actions acting as cold water to his heat. Hiccup hoped Stoic wouldn't offer to carry the food out to the dining table and 'accidentally' trip, dropping food all over the floor for their housekeeper to clean up. If he did and Jaya calmed the situation down by saying she brought extra food or said she just so happened to have a meal prepped at home she could pick up, Valka would be suspicious. Hiccup told his dad not to do that and gave several reasons why, knowing he wouldn't get a reply. Stoic was not one for texting, preferring to call. It didn't help that he didn't really know how to text for that matter.

Sighing out a muffled whine, Hiccup flipped onto his back and grabbed his phone once more, checking the time. It was just after ten in the morning and he hadn't done any work since waking up, going from too aroused to too distracted of tonight to really get anything done. He might as well take the day off and make up for it tomorrow and Saturday. Sunday he was keeping off since it was game day and even though he didn't think it was a good idea anymore to be alone together, Hiccup still wanted to play the next installment of Silent Hill for Dagur and spend time with him. He checked his emails and his Facebook account before getting dressed and shoving any dirty articles of clothing into a large laundry bag; might as well stay productive in other ways. He would use the apartment's laundry room in the basement, but his clothes tended to smell like cigarettes when he did. He could also use his parents' laundry machines, but then he would be stuck in awkward conversations with his mom and dad; most likely talking about Dagur.

So public laundromat it is.

...

Hiccup instantly started sweating as soon as he entered the laundromat, a wave of heat from the dryers blanketing him. Windows were open, but there was no cross breeze, and there was a fan, but it was small and placed at the desk where an employee stood behind folding clothes. Another worker was busy throwing wet clothes (most likely dropped off by a costumer) into a large dryer, hands covered in latex and forehead damp. There were only a few other people in different stages of doing laundry and the smell of detergent hung heavy in the air. This still beats smelling like cigarettes and talking to his parents. With one last look out the door, seeing Toothless had already scampered off to do whatever, he made his way to an empty corner in the back of the laundromat and set the heavy bag down.

After exchanging dollars for quarters and buying some detergent, Hiccup started the process of washing his clothes; taking up several washing machines since the larger ones were taken. Hiccup then sat down on one of the chairs surrounding a small table closest to him and pulled out his phone, playing solitaire as there was no WiFi and Hiccup didn't want to waste data. Once he put his clothes in the dryer, he would probably go for a walk to pass the time since drying usually took longer; maybe even visit Dagur-no, that probably wouldn't be smart. With the way he was this morning, it wouldn't take a genius to know that keeping his hands to himself wouldn't last long if he was around the redhead. Thinking about Dagur now didn't help either as heat started to pool in his stomach, spreading down the more he thought of him.

He needed something to distract his mind and something to push down his desire. He had several options to choose from and all of them weren't very appealing, but he'd do just about anything to keep from embarrassing himself out in public. Thor forbid he wound up rubbing one off in the laundromat's bathroom. He picked the one that would make him the least uncomfortable and called his mother, not needing to wait long for her to answer.

"Hello?" her voice chimed kindly, making Hiccup smile.

"Hey mom," he greeted softly.

"Oh! Hello Hiccup," she beamed in pleasant surprise. "Not that I mind you calling, why did you?"

"Just wanted to check up on you, make sure everything's ready for tonight. Maybe get something you need from the store or help you out if you need it."

"Thank you dear, but I got everything under control."

"Ok. Cool cool... so dad mentioned you'll be making dinner tonight? Could you use some help with that or...?" He trailed off, hoping he didn't come off as fishy.

"He did, did he?" 

He winced at how suspicious she sounded suddenly. "Yeah. Would you like some help with dinner tonight? I wouldn't mind."

"No, I'm fine dear. You just worry about looking good for your boyfriend tonight."

"He's not my boyfriend," he grouched while she giggled, rolling his eyes with a small smile. 

"Not yet," she teased. "You two do make a lovely couple though."

"... Thank you." Hiccup felt his cheeks heat up as his smile grew soft, happy that his mother accepted the way he and Dagur were going about their relationship. His father was a little less understanding, but still accepting.

"Mhm! Listen dear, I need to get going and finish my shopping. Thank you for calling."

"You're welcome, I'll see you tonight."

"Oh! Will you be riding out with the Jorgensons or do you need Stoic to pick you up? And don't you dare say you'll be riding out here on your bike. It might be a small island, but it's still a ways away and the roads are still muddy out this way from all the rain."

"Dagur's picking me up, he has his own van he uses for deliveries," Hiccup explained shortly, watching as the washing machines give a few more slow turns before stopping completely; timer reaching zero.

"Oh good! I'll see you tonight dear. Love you!" 

"Love you too mom. Bye."

"Bye." 

He hung up as soon as he heard the dial tone and pocketed his phone back in his pants' pocket. He then waited for the other washing machines to finish before piling the wet clothes in a wheeled basket, rolling it over to an unused dryer. He shoved as much as he felt comfortable with in one and put the rest in a second. He got a few more quarters for them and set them, putting a timer on his phone and walked out. It was cooler outside and he immediately felt relieved to be free of the place. With nothing else to do until his clothes were done, Hiccup began to walk with no destination in mind. He nodded to a few people who passed him and bid them good morning, not taking any heed on where his feet were taking him.

It wasn't until he passed by a familiar chalk board with cursive writing telling today's deals that he realized where he was. Hiccup glanced up and sure enough saw Toothless laying down in his spot at the window, a few more plants gone to make room for a bed. Should he go in and greet Dagur, at least for a little while, or should he keep on walking until the timer went off? He weighed the decisions, knowing which one he should do, but his feet decided for him and he soon found himself opening the door to the flower shop. The redhead looked up from the book he was reading and grinned widely at seeing the auburn, music playing softly from his phone on the counter.

"Hey! I wasn't expecting to see you until later tonight," Dagur exclaimed as he straightened up, saving his place before closing his book and setting it down, pausing the music.

"I was at the laundromat and decided to come here for a bit while my clothes dry," Hiccup replied as he leaned over the front of the counter, reading the title of the book. The Adventures of Sam Witchall: Prison Ship. "Slow today?"

Dagur shrugged. "A bit. Had a few orders come in for a party next weekend that I was invited to." He sounded a bit put out and disinterested by that that it made the auburn chuckle.

"You sound like you're not going to go." Hiccup grinned when Dagur's dropped and formed into a childish frown, making the auburn snicker.

"Mable planned an anniversary party for one of her gal pals and their husband and extended me an invitation," the redhead groaned. "She came in this time after she called, said she had to make sure I don't mess up and that the bouquet I made for her sister wasn't as good as she first thought it was. She was very rude to my plants!" Hiccup jumped when Dagur suddenly shouted the last part, getting worked up for said plants. "She insulted Kyle!" He paused to gently finger pet a tiny succulent next to his computer, cooing, "Don't worry buddy, you're just a baby."

"Oook... Want me to give you an excuse not to go? 'Cause she won't take a simple no without reason and if you thought she was bad now, wait until she finds out you didn't go just because you didn't want to." Hiccup shivered at a memory of the woman becoming red in the face and screamed at him because he picked weeds the wrong way back when he was a teen.

"I'm guessing you've had plenty of experiences with her." Dagur took a breath to calm himself, the wrinkles in his forehead smoothing. "Yes please. Anything to keep me from going. I don't think I can spend any more time with her than necessary."

Hiccup snickered, knowing exactly how he felt. "What day is it on?"

"Saturday. The weekend, like I said."

"Well some people consider Friday to be the weekend or Sunday. Some think it's Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but I wasn't sure what you considered the weekend. Hence why I asked."

"Ah, k. Anyways, what did you have in mind? And it better be good if what you said about her is anything to go by." Dagur messed with the succulent as he spoke, straightening it delicately before crossing his arms over his chest and gave Hiccup an expectant look.

"Well I was thinking maybe we can go to Vanahiem then. I needed to go anyways to pick up parts, but you can tell Mable that you're accompanying me to do some shopping of your own and have been planning this for a while." He really did need parts from Vanahiem, he just didn't need them for maybe another month or so as long as work didn't pick back up again like has been off and on these past few weeks. But any reason to save Dagur from the clutches of Mable was a good enough reason to make him go early. It wouldn't hurt to pick out some things for his dad's upcoming birthday as well.

Dagur perked up at the idea, but then it darkened as his face screwed up in thought. "How far away is Vanahiem, how long would it take to get there, and how much does it cost?"

"Vanahiem is only a two hour ferry ride so we can be there and back in a day and don't worry about cost, I'll pay for it. And no arguing about it, I want to." Hiccup smiled warmly at him and placed a hand over the redhead's, enjoying the warmth from it.

Dagur looked down at their hands as he flipped his over, palms now facing each other, and grasped Hiccup's, a smile of his own growing as he continued to gaze down. "Thanks."

"Sure."

After a few quiet moments, Dagur shifted his eyes back up to stare into Hiccup's. They quickly glanced down to the auburn's lips for only a scant second, pupils dilating, and Hiccup's breath hitched at the detail sign of what Dagur wanted to do. But the redhead cleared his throat and sat back in his chair, causing his hand to slide out from beneath Hiccup's and the loss of warmth from underneath it quickly cooled the auburn's desire. Which was surprising since it took longer with each passing day to calm his arousal. Disappointment morphed over both their faces at the loss of contact and the air around them became awkward as silence fell upon them.

"You ready for tonight?" Hiccup asked after it felt like the quiet had gone on long enough.

"Outwardly, yes. Internally, no," Dagur answered nervously. "Honestly, I'm freaking out. I'm about to meet some of the most important people in your life and I want them to like me."

Hiccup grinned softly at that, his earlier disappointment gone. "They will, just act like yourself." His mouth screwed up as his eyebrows furrowed suddenly before he snickered. "You know, I think that's the first time I asked someone to do that. Goes to show what kind of people I hung around with." 

"Those you obviously found worthy of your time. They must be great if you still consider them friends."

"They really are if not a bit... odd. I think Astrid was the most normal one out of the group, but she still has a tendency to get easily upset." Angry more like and he remembered telling her to keep control of herself when she first met his parents. There wasn't anything to worry about, but Hiccup still felt the need to tell her to behave. She grew out of it as she got older, having more patience.

"You think I'll ever meet the rest of your friends?" Dagur asked quietly.

Hiccup shrugged, frowning. "I don't know. They've got their own lives to deal with right now and there's really nothing calling them back. Their parents visits them rather than the other way around and if they are ever in town, it's not for very long and without me knowing."

"Sorry... I know you just got back in touch with them after all the pictures they saw of me and you together and I find that unfair," Dagur started, looking a little upset. "I don't think they're very good friends if they only got back in contact with you only because something new happened to you. I might be wrong, but I think it's stupid. If they were really your friends they would have made an effort to talk to you before me and kept in touch, making time for you just as you do them. Sorry, but I'm not liking your friends so far."

"They're busy people, I can't ask them to drop everything and talk to me because I'm being needy," Hiccup defended, becoming upset.

"You're not needy Hiccup and everyone has time to at least send a text to say hi." Dagur made a placating gesture with his hands and kept his tone calm. "I'm not trying to upset you or turn you away from your friends, I'm just telling you what I think. I may be wrong and you don't have to listen to me, ok? I apologise for seeming rude, but that's how I feel."

Hiccup took a breath to calm down before sighing, rubbing the bridge of his nose. While Dagur had made a few understandable points, it was still upsetting that the redhead thought that even if he was right. A simple hi from any of his friends would have sufficed, letting him know he was still in their thoughts as they were in his. But receiving calls and messages from them after radio silence for months, all because they were curious of who that redhead he was hanging with was, was upsetting. Hiccup had tried not to think about it when he first started talking to his friends again, happy to be talking with them at all, and ignored it. But after Dagur brought it back to light again outloud, it was hard to bury the feelings of anger and sadness once more. It must have showed on his face because there was sudden a pair of arms circling around his shoulders, pulling him tightly against another warm body.

"I'm sorry Hiccup," Dagur whispered into his auburn's locks, lips close to Hiccup's ear. "I don't know your friends and it's not my place to judge them."

Hiccup returned the embrace and buried his face into Dagur's shoulder, engulfed in the other's smell and heat. The redhead's presence was calming and welcomed, the hug exactly what he needed right now. Come to think of it, this was the first proper hug he received from Dagur. He breathed in the smell of aftershave, deorderant, and the redhead's natural scent deeply and allowed his hands to cling to the back of Dagur's shirt. Despite being taller, Hiccup felt small and vulnerable in his embrace, but safe. Hiccup blushed as a wave of happiness filled him, butterflies going crazy in his stomach as his heart picked up.

"You ok?" Dagur asked when Hiccup hadn't replied.

"Y-yes. Just... just hold me."

"Sure thing."

Dagur moved a hand to the back of Hiccup's head and gently ran his fingers through his hair, pressing the side of his head against the auburn's. They stood there for a long while, seconds ticking by, when Hiccup felt the vibrations of Dagur speaking-no, singing quietly in the empty shop; swaying their bodies back and forth.

"Poor little dreamer, stand inside the door. You can't find the easy rhymes of time you had before," Dagur sang, pitch a bit higher than usual, but still beautiful and sending pleasant shivers down Hiccup's spine. "It hurts my heart so bad, seeing you sigh and shake. Broken down so low - so sad. I can't let you break."

Hiccup was unfamiliar with the song and was uncertain with the lyrics, unsure if Dagur was singing this just for the sake of it or because this was how he was feeling seeing Hiccup like this. But he was enjoying the light sway of their bodies, the light pouring in from the windows, the smell of Dagur surrounding him. He closed his eyes as he allowed himself to be lead even though they weren't really dancing.

"Cry to me - Cry to me. You better not hide it, let it come - let it bleed. I ain't laughing - reach in and get it and set it free. Cry to me - Cry to me. The glass is empty and the wine is bitter on your tongue. People don't seem wild and fine like when you were young. You're lonesome over a stormy ocean, lost in the rain and wind. We can clear these clouds away and feel the sun again." Dagur trailed off to hum the last bit of the song, having reached the end. Too soon in Hiccup's opinion.

They stopped when Dagur finished, but didn't let go; still pressed tightly together and the hold showing no sign of letting up. Relaxed and tired, Hiccup felt he could fall asleep right here in Dagur's arms and he wouldn't mind one bit. He had a feeling the redhead wouldn't mind either.

"That's an interesting song," Hiccup said after a few moments, opening his eyes.

"My mom, birth mom, used to sing it to me as a kid whenever I was sad," Dagur replied, loosening his hold but not letting go. "She would sing that to let me know it was ok to cry, to be sad, and that she would be there for me..." He shrugged minutely, jostling Hiccup's head.

"It was nice. Thank you for sharing something like that with me."

"Anything for you freckles."

Hiccup giggled and pressed his face in the junction of the redhead's neck and shoulder. "Who sang it?"

"Heart. They were my mom's favorite band. Not so much mine, but I enjoy some of their songs."

"More of a Styx and Boston kind of guy?" Hiccup finally pulled his face away to see Dagur properly with a wide grin, moving his hands from the other's back to his waist.

Dagur chuckled and moved his hands to rest on Hiccup's shoulders, eyes full of mirth. "Gotta love the classics."

"I'm a bit eclectic when it comes to music." 

"I dip my ears in other genres too, but classic rock will always be my favorite."

Hiccup giggled again, feeling elated. He didn't know what it was about Dagur, but the man certainly knew how to erase his depressing thoughts and make him happy. "Thanks again for singing to me. And now to hold up my end of the deal."

Dagur's eyes widened some at the mention of their so called deal and hardly breathed when Hiccup moved in to press his lips to the redhead's cheek. The auburn started off soft, barely a peck, before pressing a little harder; imagining it was Dagur's lips and not his cheek. He lingered longer than was necessary and was reluctant to pull away, moving back just enough to look into Dagur's eyes. The redhead's eyes were half lidded and staring at him intensely with a small flush to his cheeks, lips slightly parted. None of them moved to separate themselves, still grabbing the other as their breaths quickened and eyes searching the other.

Taking a chance, Hiccup moved in, barely, slowly so as to not frighten Dagur and make sure this was ok, and when the other did not move-

Cue annoying, cock(kiss)blocking phone alarm.

Both startled and jumped away from each other and Hiccup frantically reached into his pants' pocket for his phone, shutting it off with an annoyed huff. Looking back at Dagur, he knew his chance in kissing the other fully on the lips was gone. The alarm was like a bucket of cold water being dumped on them and Hiccup never felt so much hate for a phone until that moment. Dagur laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at the auburn, and Hiccup sighed as he pocketed his phone.

"Thanks for singing to me, I really liked it. But I need to go and finish my laundry," Hiccup said quietly, clasping and unclasping his hands, unsure on what to do with them.

"Yeah, sure, ok. Um I'll see you tonight," Dagur replied nervously, finally chancing a look.

Hiccup smiled the best he could to reassure the other, for the almost kiss or for tonight or both he wasn't sure, but it worked and Dagur grinned back. "Pick me up twenty minutes before six, please. The roads are a little muddy and we need to go slow so we don't get stuck in a ditch."

"Ok. I'll see you tonight." Dagur's body tilted towards him, as if beginning to make his way to Hiccup, but stopped and put his hands in his pockets instead.

"See you later." The auburn turned to make his way back out and received a two fingered wave when he looked back while opening the door. Hiccup waved back and gave Toothless one last look, unimpressed with the cat's uninterested attitude, that made Dagur laugh. Hiccup let the door swing shut behind him and his knees almost buckled beneath him as the tension in his body fled. "Thor..." He was fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Cry For Me by Heart
> 
> As always, drop a kudo or comment. Show the love. Constructive criticism is welcome, helps me do better.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness, I'm on a roll with editing. I try giving myself a schedule on when to post but I just get so exited and can't help myself. I hope you're all enjoying yourself and keep on reading.
> 
> Foest97: good question! I was thinking the archapealago was a group of islands close to America (or Canada, whatever you prefer) and were once claimed by Viking travelers before being taken over by America (or Canada). Or they could just be a whole territory by themselves. I try not to speculate too much.

It would be a lie if he said he wasn't trying to impress a certain redhead, having changed his shirt many times in the twenty minutes before Dagur was supposed to pick him up until finally settling on a red long sleeve shirt with a short, v-cut collar. It had been so long since he last truly cared on his appearance that he felt out of practice and horrified at how much he was trying to put into his looks all because of one person. He didn't even do that for Eret back when they were dating, never needing to impress, but Dagur was different. Hiccup knew Dagur wanted him and this wasn't necessary, but the need to dress up for the other was overwhelming. It scared him how much power the redhead had over him without having done anything.

Hiccup ran fingers through still damp hair, ruffling it and considering on taking out the few braids behind his ears. Before he could decide anything, there was a knock at the door that jolted him away from the bathroom mirror and sprinted for the door, pausing to calm himself. He plastered on a small smile and opened the door, unintentionally smiling wider at the sight of Dagur with two small bouquets of flowers. Toothless sprinted inside and jumped up onto his spot on the couch, flopping down as if he had ran all the way home.

"Hey," Hiccup greeted shyly, moving aside to allow him in.

"Hey," Dagur returned and stepped inside, closing the door behind him with an elbow. He took in the other and began to snicker when his eyes lowered. "Nice underwear."

Hiccup glanced down and gasped when he saw he wasn't wearing pants, mind too preoccupied to notice until now. "Oh Thor, excuse me a minute." He scampered into his room and pulled on the pair of fitted, bootcut styled pants he had placed on his bed earlier; his prosthetic only snagging once in his haste. He stopped by the bathroom on his way back to put on some deorderant, give himself one last appearance check, then met Dagur back in the living room.

The redhead had a large grin plastered on his face, bouquets still in hand, and said, "Now I know you're a briefs kind of guy." He laughed when Hiccup pulled an embarrassed face before handing one of the bouquets to the auburn.

His hear fluttered at the action and Hiccup gently grabbed the red carnations (if he remembered correctly), blushing. He wasn't much for flowers, like he told the other in the past, but he enjoyed the gesture and he smiled shyly when he looked back up at Dagur. "Thank you."

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful man." Dagur winked and adjusted Hiccup's glasses with his now free hand, straightening them. "Red suits you."

The blush deepened and Hiccup hid his face in the flowers, taking a few deep breaths to calm his breathing. This was so unfair, being overcome with desire from just a complement. It was crazy how a few simple words could overwhelm him from a man he had only known for a month, how a smile could make him weak in the knees, how happy this redhead could make him with a simple gesture. This no sex before they figured out their feelings for each other rule he made was starting to drive him insane, but he did not regret it (maybe) and he was glad (possibly) Dagur abided by it.

"Shall we get going?" Dagur asked with mirth, drawing Hiccup's attention. "Don't want to ruin first impressions by being late."

"Y-yeah," Hiccup cleared his throat when his voice cracked, "yes. Just let me put these in water first." 

Hiccup made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a tall glass from a cabinet, filling it with water. He placed the flowers in it after taking off the plastic covering and walked back to Dagur, petting Toothless' as he passed by. As much as he would have liked to bring the cat with him, his father wouldn't appreciate it much; still complaining about cat hairs laying about. Toothless didn't seem to mind being left behind and batted Hiccup's hand away, curling into a tight ball with a huff. Dagur must play with the cat a lot if he came home exhausted whenever he spent the day with him.

"After you," Dagur said as he opened the door for Hiccup.

"Thank you." 

Hiccup exited the apartment and Dagur followed closely behind him after shutting the door. The auburn took a moment to lock it, done out of habit than necessity, something he had started during his short college term on the mainland. The redhead then took the lead down to the parking lot, opening and closing the door out of the building and doing the same with the van; opening the door for Hiccup before closing it gently when the auburn sat down. Once Dagur slid into his own seat, they took off to a part of the island the redhead hadn't been to yet, an area crowded with trees and high on the mountain. Only a few houses and lodges resided there, mostly lived in during the summer or rented out to different people during certain parts of the year. Hiccup's parents lived at the end of the road and far enough away from any neighbors to enjoy the peace and quiet of the forest.

Asphalt turned to dirt, quite abruptly, and Dagur seemed to understand then why Hiccup wanted to leave early in the first place. Potholes, soft mud, and lake sized puddles slowed there progress and for a moment Hiccup believed they were going to get stuck at any second, especially when the van slid in the mud and almost into a ditch. But Dagur held steady and soon enough they were going uphill away from the wetness to dryer ground, the way becoming easier. Hiccup had no need to tell Dagur where they needed to go as his parents really did live at the end, the only house visible from the road. The redhead still asked anyways if they had made it to which the auburn nodded and Dagur drove up the paved driveway.

Dagur's eyes widened at the large three story cabin styled home spread across a small part of the mountain. A manicured lawn filled a large space between the front of the house and the trees, a stone path leading from the driveway to a large deck. Wild rose bushes lined the path with tiki lights set between each one and Hiccup saw Dagur had noticed his old tree house hiding in the corner of the yard. He lead Dagur through the path and up to the covered deck, bypassing a swinging bench on their way to the door. Several windows lined the first floor with arched tops, but the curtains were closed other than the one in the living room where he could see his father sitting down on the couch with uncle Spitelout.

Hiccup didn't bother knocking despite not living there anymore and opened the door, entering a spacious entry way. A cushioned bench lined the wall with coat hooks made from large old, but polished, nails attached to the bottom of a large mirror, hung up on perfectly white walls. Shoes had already filled the space beneath the bench so Hiccup put his up against the wall on the opposite side, motioning for Dagur to do the same. Hurried footfalls came from further inside and soon enough his mother was peeking her head down the short hallway. Her face brightened with a large smile and she quickly finished her trek to them, enveloping her son in a hug.

"Hi mom," Hiccup mumbled into her shoulder as he returned the hug.

"I'm so glad you made it!" she whispered excitedly, squeezing him. "From what Spitelout said about the road I was afraid you would get stuck and we would have to come out and get you."

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Dagur said with a nervous grin, drawing her attention to him. The redhead soon found himself in a hug as well, arms wrapping around her awkwardly with eyes wide in surprise and one hand clutching the second bouquet he had brought with him.

"And I'm so glad you came too!" She let the other go and grinned widely at the redhead. "It's so nice to meet you at last! Please, come in, come in." Valka motioned them to follow her as she began to walk back down the hall.

"These are for you," Dagur stumbled out with a flush as he held out the bundle of white lilies towards Valka before she could get far.

She gasped in surprise and took them cautiously as if they would fall apart if she handled them too much. "These are gorgeous," she whispered, closing her eyes as she smelled them with a small smile. She sighed out happily before reaching up with one hand to cup a cheek and kiss the other. "They're lovely, thank you."

"Hiccup told me they were your favorite and a new shipment came in just the other day and I figured you would enjoy them more than some of the other customers."

Said auburn held back an amused grin as the other man babbled, seeing how nervous Dagur truly was right then. It was endearing seeing him trying to impress Hiccup's mother while enjoying the gift of giving and receiving a motherly kiss in return. He watched as his mother continued to fuss over Dagur, thanking him several times and adjusting the collar of his buttoned up shirt. The redhead took it in stride, smiling brilliantly at the attention and keeping quiet before Valka finally calmed down and moved away from them, once again motioning them to follow.

"The rest are in the living room. I hope you're hungry, dinner is almost ready."

Hiccup was unsure on how to react to the last statement, wondering if she had somehow made dinner without dad's interference or he had and it was Jaya's cooking that was almost done. He decided to just smile and nod while hoping his uncertainty didn't show. Once in the living, though, he saw Jaya and she barely shook her head with a blank face when she noticed Hiccup staring at her. Oh Thor... He didn't have time to worry about it as Snotlout was suddenly in his face and pulling him down into an unexpected hug. Hiccup wheezed at the strength in it, arms pressed against his sides as he was picked up off the floor and jostled around roughly. Well this was a first, being enthusiastically embraced by his cousin who usually found a handshake by Hiccup was a bother.

"There he is! I thought you were never going to make it," Snotlout said loudly as he dropped Hiccup back down onto his feet, slapping a hand against his back. "It's been too long cuz." 

Hiccup jerked forward from the slap and held back a hiss, wondering where this new attitude towards him came from. He only nodded in agreement and Snotlout was soon pushed aside so Jaya could envelope him in a quick hug and a kiss to the cheek.

"So glad you could make it," she said and moved aside for her husband, who shook Hiccup's hand with a strong grip.

"Took ya long enough boyo. Almost thought we would have to go out and get ya out with a winch." Spitelout let out a boisterous laugh.

A thick, muscled arm suddenly wrapped around Hiccup's shoulders and pulled him to the side to press him against a large body in a half hug. "Happy you could make it son."

Hiccup relaxed in his father's hold and smiled up at the large redheaded man. "I'm glad we could make it too. Almost thought we wouldn't a couple of times." He looked over towards Dagur, who had stayed back a bit and was standing there awkwardly watching the scene.

"Soo," Snotlout butted in with a smirk, having followed his gaze to the nervous newcomer, "are you going to introduce us to your new 'friend'?" His smirk grew teasing at the implication and Hiccup rolled his eyes.

All eyes moved to Dagur and the redhead tensed at having everyone's gaze on him, eyes wide with panic. The once confident man was now reduced to an anxious mess as he was about to meet some of the most important people in the auburn's life. Hiccup winced and moved away from his father to stand next to Dagur, putting a calming hand to the small of his back.

"Everyone, this is Dagur. Dagur, this is my dad Stoic, my cousin Snotlout, my uncle Spitelout, my aunt Jaya, and you already met my mom Valka," Hiccup introduced his family as each one moved forward to shake his hand. When Valka shook his hand, she held it with both of hers and smiled warmly at him.

Dagur smiled nervously at them. "Pleasure to meet you all."

"The pleasure is ours dear," Valka said as she patted his hand before letting go, moving to stand by her husband.

"Anyone who could bring Hiccup out of his slump is welcome here," Spitelout added seriously, but was all smiles. "Got to hand it to ya, Hiccup, yer boyfriend is better lookin' in person."

"Oh we're not-" Dagur started, but a shake of Hiccup's head stopped him. "Thank you?" he ended up saying, glancing down at the auburn with a raised confused brow.

Hiccup gave him a look that said he would explain about it later and thankfully Dagur left it at that. "Where's Minden, I thought you brought her along?" Hiccup asked Snotlout, successfully moving the conversation away from their not relationship. 

"She's in the bathroom, freshing up," his cousin replied with a small roll of his eyes. "You know how women are." That earned him a swat in the back of the head by both his parents.

"I don't, but ok," Hiccup deadpanned. 

"Why don't we all sit down and chat while we wait for dinner to finish?" Valka suggested quickly and put a hand on Dagur's shoulder to guide him to the love seat before sitting across from him on the sectional in front of the window. "So where are you from? Hiccup said you weren't from around here, but never specified where."

Hiccup sat next to Dagur with barely any space between them, everyone else taking their cue to find a spot around the room while the redhead answered.

"Bazerker Island."

"My, that's such a large place," Jaya exclaimed. "Why come to somewhere so small?"

Dagur looked a little uncomfortable by the question, but hid it behind a polite smile. "Needed a change. Audhild was a bit too fast paced for me and seeing nothing but concrete was getting old."

"But why Berk? You could have chosen anywhere," Valka asked with interest, leaning against her husband, who set his arm over the back of the couch behind her shoulders.

Before Dagur could answer, a set of footsteps padded from down a hall towards the back of the house and a brunette haired woman entered the living room. She had her head down, staring at her phone with worry furrowed brows and a hand covering her mouth, reading something. She stopped halfway to type something down, something long, before turning off her phone with a sad sigh and slipping it into a back pocket of her skinny jeans. When she looked up, she was startled to see everyone looking at her now along with the two new guests she had yet to meet.

"Sorry about that," she murmured with a polite smile, finishing her trek, and sat down on the armrest of the chair Snotlout was sitting in. "Family emergency."

Snotlout placed a hand on her knee and gave her a quick worried look, which she shook her head to, before nodding and plastering a grin back on his face. But it wasn't as bright anymore, the hand on her knee falling away. "Minden, you remember Hiccup."

Hiccup greeted her with a small wave. "Nice to finally meet you in person."

"Likewise," Minden replied with a gentle grin.

"And this is his friend Dagur," Snotlout continued, "He just moved here from Bazerker Island."

"Hello," the redhead bowed his head slightly.

"Nice to meet you." Minden crossed one leg over the other and leaned back and to the side against the chair, pressing up close to Snotlout; one arm over the back of it to keep herself balanced.

"And this beautiful woman is my girlfriend Minden." Hiccup's cousin looked awfully proud at this statement, but there was a hidden note of unadulterated love within his gaze as he stared up at her. "She's a vetinary."

"It's pronounced veterinarian," Minden corrected with an endearing smile, not at all embarrassed by his mistake.

"I'm still surprised my boy was able to win ya over, considerin' how he is," Spitelout teased, earning an elbow to the side by his wife. His son gave him a unamused look. "I'm just sayin' ya done us proud boyo." Snotlout gaped at this, probably the first time he's ever heard his dad say those words and meant them. Or them spoken in front of another person. He beamed at his father and would have started bubbling like an idiot before Spitelout turned his gaze back to Dagur. "Anyways, so why did ya move to Berk out of all places?"

Dagur was unprepared at being questioned again, probably hoping he would be forgotten now that Snotlout's girlfriend had returned. Hiccup wished he was only that lucky. "Oh, uh back to me then? Ok, well, my sister used to come to the summer camps out here back when she was kid. Then she became a camp volunteer as she got older. She was really upset when the camp shut down and used to tell me how much she missed this place. If it wasn't for her job, I think she would have moved here. Checked it out myself a year or so ago and decided I liked it here as well. Once I was able to, I bought the shop, had it fixed up and moved in."

"How you liking it so far?" Jaya asked.

"It's been great, honestly one of the best decisions I've made in a long time." Dagur had a large genuine smile on his face as he spoke and the tension in his body began to ease. "The people have been great and the food amazing if I pick the right day to go out," this drew chuckles and small laughs, "and Hiccup has been really helpful in helping me settle in." He glanced to the side to give Hiccup a soft smile, grabbing one of his hands before looking back to the group. The sudden hand holding was a nice surprise and Hiccup made no motion to pull his hand away.

"Glad to hear it," Valka said with a motherly smile, sharing it between the Dagur and her son. "How did you two meet?"

Dagur snickered while Hiccup giggled, the two sharing a look before the redhead began to tell the story of their first meeting, outing Stoic. The large man covered his face with a hand in embarrassment, but Valka didn't appear all that shocked; a telling sign that she did in fact know her husband had forgotten. Dagur told all the things they've been doing together since then, keeping out certain key points that Hiccup's family didn't need to know. Dagur was a bit overdramatic in some of the things he said, making the auburn's family laugh. Before long, Snotlout was telling of his and Minden's first meeting and it sounded like a doozy.

Hiccup was smiling as his cousin recounted when he smelt something awful, now noticing the smoke filtering into the living room. Everyone jumped when the smoke alarm began blaring in the kitchen and his mother cursed beneath her breath as she jumped to her feet and ran into the kitchen, smoke pouring from the oven. A cloud puffed out when she opened the door and she coughed while grabbing two pot holders to pull the thing creating the smoke out. Whatever it was had turned black and the baking dish unsalvageable, the food most likely stuck to it. Spitelout grabbed a chair to stand on and grabbed the smoke detector to turn it off, stopping the insufferable noise, while the others gathered around to see the damage. Hiccup's heart heaved in sadness at the broken look his mother gave the dish and looked towards his father, who had followed after her and put a light hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"I don't understand, I did everything by the book," she murmured as tears began to gather in her eyes. "How did-" she stopped abruptly when she reached over to turn the oven off and narrowed her eyes at it. "Stoic, I thought I told you thirty minutes."

"I did put it on thirty minutes," Stoic replied a bit defensively, sounding a bit forced to Hiccup, who frowned in slight confusion.

"It says thirty hours, Stoic, not thirty minutes," Valka returned angrily, turning off the timer.

The large man's eyes widened in surprise and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, looking down at his feet. "Oh, I suppose I got a little mixed up on which is which."

Hiccup saw right through his dad's act and snorted back a laugh, covering it up as a cough. Not exactly how he would have saved them from eating his mother's food, but still better than dropping it all over the floor. He could see the relief on everyone's faces at not having to put on a brave act, which they immediately covered up by butting in,

"You couldn' tell the difference between minute and hour?" Spitelout tutted and shook his head.

"Now all of Valka's hard work is ruined, shame on you," Jaya wagged her finger at her brother.

"What are we gonna eat now? It's not like we can run into town and get something lickity-split," Snotlout grumbled, clueless to everyone's acting. Thankfully he didn't comment on his aunt's bad cooking.

"I can cook up something."

Everyone paused and turned their attention to Dagur, who had spoken up and now looked like he regretted saying anything.

"Oh no dear, I couldn't ask you to do that. You're our guest," Valka replied, all anger gone from her voice, but now sounding like what Dagur suggested was perposterous.

"You didn't ask, I offered."

"Which is silly," Jaya spoke up as she made her way over to her sister-in-law. "I can whip up something in under an hour."

Dagur's brows furrowed a bit in offense. 

Hiccup quickly butted in, ignoring his anxiety at being in the spotlight. "Aunt Jaya, while your food is amazing, you have a hard time cooking things under an hour with the type of meals you make. Dagur, on the other hand, is just as great and I'm sure he knows a recipe he can make quickly." He gave his aunt a hard stare, daring her to question him. "If Dagur wants to cook for us, I say let him."

Jaya frowned before sighing and replacing it with a small smile. "As long as Valka says it's ok and Snotlout helps out, I suppose I can handle a night without cooking."

"What?!" Snotlout exclaimed, staring at his aunt as if she had grown a second head.

"If Hiccup helps as well, you can use whatever you want in the kitchen dear. Stoic, remove this from the house immediately and open some windows," the lady of the house ordered and Stoic was quick to obey. "Please help yourself. Hiccup will show you where everything is. Everyone else, please get back to the living room and give them some space. Anyone want any wine?"

While his mother made herself busy grabbing a few glasses and an expensive bottle of red wine, Hiccup lead Dagur the rest of the way into the kitchen and behind the large island; Snotlout dragging his feet behind them. Hiccup may not know how to cook very well and didn't spend a lot of time in his parents' kitchen, but he still remembered where everything was and proceeded to show Dagur around; letting him shuffle around in the cabinets and fridge, pulling out several items.

"Do your parents have any vodka?" Dagur asked as he retrieved a cutting board and a large knife, sitting them in front of Snotlout as well as three shallots. "Cut these into small pieces."

Hiccup raised a brow at the question, but raided the bar in his father's mancave for said item. He found a small glass bottle of it and brought it back to Dagur, who had started to brown a large amount of ground beef and placed a large pot of water on the stove to boil. He handed it to the redhead and was soon ordered to get started on a salad, another board and knife placed in front of Hiccup. Dagur took over for Snotlout when the intense smell of the onion/garlic hybrid thing became too much for him (tears running down his face) and was taking too long, moving the dark haired man to garlic bread duty. Since they didn't have a whole lot of time to make proper bread, Dagur had Snotlout place slices of bread on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven. Hiccup grabbed a bag of already made salad from the fridge and emptied it into a wooden bowl, ignoring the small amused glare Dagur gave him as he went to go put it on the table and brought Snotlout with him to set the table while they waited for the bread.

Seeing Dagur in action was not what Hiccup was expecting. The redhead hadn't chopped up the shallots like some crazy professional chef, staying at a comfortable pace, and he didn't lift the pan off the fire to toss the meat, using a wooden spoon to stir it and evenly brown it and cook the shallots. No flourish to his movements. He looked like a normal person who knew what the hell they were doing, keeping things from burning or undercooked. When no new orders were given, Hiccup knew he and his cousin were forgotten as Dagur was now too focused on what he was doing. The redhead's mouth had puckered slightly into duck lips of concentration and the auburn grinned to himself at the look, fishing the toasted bread when the timer went off.

He remembered Dagur saying something about melting butter and seasoning it with garlic and basil. Hiccup took over in finishing up the bread, seeing as Snotlout had wondered back into the living room and was shrugging his shoulders when his mother asked him why he wasn't helping. Jaya didn't seem too perturbed about her son not helping anymore and went back to conversing with Minden, absolutely adoring the young woman. Snotlout preened beside his girl, chest puffed out and looking for all the world like a prideful giant when really he was the smallest person in the house.

Butter melted, seasoned, and brushed on the toast, Hiccup placed them in a cloth covered basket and set it on the table. Dagur was finishing up with his own version of vodka spaghetti, adding the last few ingredients and stirring one last time before tossing the thick sauce onto the freshly drained noodles and folded them together. He then took the pot and began filling plates with it, sitting the rest down on the table on top of a potholder. Dagur did a mental check as he made sure everything was in order, nodding to himself and counting place sets.

"Ready!" he called, drawing the others' attentions. "I give you angel hair alla vodka."

The group scrambled from their seats to get to the table and Dagur pulled out a chair for Hiccup next to Valka, who's husband had done the same for her, and pushed the chair in before sitting next to him. Stoic sat at one end of the table while Spitelout sat at the other, their wives sitting on their left. Jaya and Snotlout sat on one side while Dagur, Hiccup, and Valka sat across from them; the seating a little tight since it wasn't supposed to be more then four, five at most. The family dug in and made different sounds of enjoyment, very happy how everything turned out in the end. Dagur held back his pride and thanked everyone humbly for their comments on the food.

Conversations picked back up and Dagur was beginning to learn more about the Haddocks and Jorgensons, quite interested in their tales and laughing along when he found one funny. Hiccup felt happy seeing the other like this, getting along with his family and enjoying their company; telling a few stories of his own. However, he could tell Dagur wasn't telling the whole truth in some of them, his tells showing each time he lied or left something out. They were small, but Hiccup had spent so much time with him and observing that they stuck out like a sore thumb. The auburn didn't comment on it and smiled along, the stories still amusing.

Dessert of Jaya's famous fruit tart came and went and soon Snotlout and Hiccup were cleaning up, gathering the dishes and rinsing them off before putting them in the dish washer. Dagur had been dragged outside by Stoic, most likely to show off the boat in the shed that Hiccup's parents rarely used and rented out, followed by everyone else. This left Hiccup and Snotlout alone in the house and a feeling of dread filled the auburn.

"So," Snotlout started nonchalantly, Hiccup knowing it was anything but, "you and Dagur, are you two actually dating or what because it's kinda hard to tell? I mean one minute you two are giving googly eyes and the next you're acting more like friends than boyfriends."

Hiccup sighed with a roll of his eyes as he rinsed off another dish to hand to Snotlout, who loaded it into the washer. "No, we're not actually dating." He must have sounded a bit disappointed as his cousin snorted and raised a teasing brow at him.

"But you want to." Snotlout smirked when Hiccup didn't answer. "Why aren't you? It's obvious he wants to too."

"We're... courting."

"Courting?!" The smaller man burst out laughing. "What, are we still in the eighteen hundreds?"

"We're figuring out our feelings for each other before stepping into anything more serious," Hiccup snapped, abruptly turning towards the other and almost dropping a plate in his haste. His cousin had no right to judge him after all his own failing relationships.

"Cool your jets cuz." Snotlout raised his hands in a placating manner, a cup still in one hand. "I'm just saying feelings never stopped you before. Remember how you and Eret started out? It wasn't exactly love at first sight." 

"It was supposed to be a one night stand, not a two year long commitment. This thing with Dagur is more than that." Hiccup went back to rinsing and handing the dishes to Snotlout, not bothering to glance up, trusting his cousin not to drop them when he let go. "We both got out of relationships recently and we wanted to give ourselves a chance to properly heal before starting anything outside a friendship."

"You didn't want to unintentionally hurt each other by getting together before you're ready and breaking up if it turns out you weren't meant for each other."

"Well, uh, yes." Hiccup stared at Snotlout with wide eyes, stunned by the other's insight and humorless tone.

For a moment, Snotlout dropped his usual teasing and mocking mask to stare at the auburn seriously, completely turning to face Hiccup. "Listen cuz, I know I'm the last person to give relationship advice, but common Hic. This Dagur guy, he's obviously crazy about you and wants to be with you. The question is, are you ready to move forward or are you going to let your past relationship with Eret hold you back?"

Hiccup opened his mouth to reply, to protest, but nothing came and he immediately snapped it closed, brows furrowing.

"You don't have to answer now, let alone to me. Just think about it." Snotlout gave him a quick once over, finding whatever it was he was looking for as he continued. "When I first met Minden, all I could think about was getting into her pants. When she turned me down the first time, I thought nothing of it and moved on. Tried again the second time we bumped into each other, again failed. After the third time, I started to take it as a challenge and found whatever reason I could to see her at the clinic she worked at. After a while, I really started to like and respect her. She was cool and awesome to hang out with and when she finally accepted my offer to have a one night stand with me, I chickened out."

Hiccup raised a brow at that, knowing Snotlout wasn't one for backing out when it came to sex. His cousin might claim to be a brave man only to chicken out seconds later, but never when it came to lustful satisfaction.

"I know right. Anyways, instead of walking out, she stayed, we talked, I let myself be vulnerable with her like you've told me to do so many times, and we ended up together. I was so scared about her realizing she made a stupid decision in dating me and would finally dump me that I had nightmares about it for weeks." Snotlout looked away, a little embarrassed talking about his feelings to Hiccup. "But she's stuck by me even though she could do better. I was terrified of rejection when I first started to like her and I almost gave up trying to get with her. And you know what I realized since then? Knowing that none of this would have happened if I hadn't kept trying is much more painful than being rejected. Just remember that if you wait too long."

Silence rained down on them as they finished up, none of them no longer feeling talkative. Hiccup circled through their conversation over and over, accepting his cousin's words as true as the smaller man hardly ever spoke this way unless it was specifically important. The thought of rejection hurt, but now the thought of never even having a chance with Dagur because of his fear hurt even more. He knew they were still healing and had come a long way, but what if the last little bit needed to be done together. Maybe not necessarily through sex, though that would be a bonus, Hiccup was thinking more along the lines of actually being able to call Dagur his boyfriend, lover, partner, whatever. Being able to finally kiss and hold hands was something he was desperately looking forward to. Was he ready to move forward? Hiccup didn't even hesitate as he thought, yes, he was ready to move forward.

He really liked Dagur, enjoyed his company, and felt overjoyed whenever he was with the redhead. The other man was good for him, Hiccup knew. It was hard not to after all the comments he's heard about how much he's changed for the better since meeting Dagur. Not only that, his family seemed to like him, which was something Eret really had to fight for when they were dating. Hiccup often had to drag Eret to his parents' house when they arranged a family get together and it was required for him to come. But Dagur was making an effort and it clearly showed by bringing Valka's favorite flowers and gladly cooking dinner for Hiccup's family. He didn't even struggle when he was pulled outside by Stoic without the auburn by his side.

Speaking of the redhead, Dagur reappeared in the living room with Hiccup's parents, aunt, and uncle, laughing at something one of them said. It must have been funny if it wasn't forced and on the edge of sounding maniacl. His father had a hand between Dagur's shoulder blades and was laughing quite loudly as well. Hiccup finished off the last dish and put it in the dish washer as Snotlout had left his side to be with his girlfriend, smiling softly at her. The auburn filled in the soap slot before closing the door and starting it, making his way to where everyone was gathered around in the empty space between the kitchen and living room.

Snotlout cleared his throat loudly to gain everyone's attention, paling a bit and eyes wide in nervousness. Minden seemed to know what he was about to do and wrapped an arm around his waist, smiling at him comfortingly. "So, uh... I have some news I wanted to share tonight and that is me and Minden are engaged as of yesterday."

Jaya squealed quite loudly as she hugged her son tightly before hugging her soon to be daughter-in-law, blubbering gibberish and crying happily. Minden took it in stride and hugged the older woman back. Valka clapped happily, gushing while her husband stood beside her in shock. Hiccup smiled for his cousin, proud and happy for Snotlout and wishing them the best.

"Good on ya boyo! Never thought I'd see the day my son would find an amazin' woman who could stand ya enough to marry ya," Spitelout said with mirth. It may have sounded mean, but his tone was anything but. Nothing but pride for his son.

Jaya hit his shoulder anyways, threatening him to be nice or else before asking her son for details on how he proposed.

"Actually she proposed to me," Snotlout replied sheepishly. "She asked me while we were on the ferry ride here, nothing specially romantic done."

"I just popped the question randomly and he said yes," Minden supplied with a shrug of her shoulders. "We're going to get engagement rings tomorrow to make it official."

Spitelout chuckled and pulled his son into him to give Snotlout an affectionate noogie. "Ye'll make one ugly bride I'm afraid."

"Ugh, shut up dad!" Snotlout yelled as he struggled to get away. When he finally pulled free, he ran a hand through his hair that was exactly like his dad's and put it back in order.

"Have you picked a date yet?" Jaya questioned, face still beaming.

"We're waiting to decide until we find an apartment. One with an ocean view," Snotlout mumbled as he adjust his shirt back into place. "Luckily Berk's a small island so that shouldn't be too hard to find." He stopped as he realized what he had just said, wincing as his mother squealed again and crushed him into another hug, jumping up and down.

"Welcome home," Valka sighed in amusement as her nephew was about to pass out from lack of air.

Snotlout didn't answer as he wasn't able to, but gulped in some air when he was finally let go. Minden went through the same treatment though didn't have any trouble breathing and smiled widely in humor. All focus was now on the newly made engagement and Hiccup decided now would be a good time to leave, not having the patience to wait until the end of the family gathering to go home.

He was tired and Toothless probably needed some food by now. Quietly, Hiccup bid his parents, who barely acknowledged his presence (not on purpose, mind you), goodnight and pulled Dagur away. The redhead had been quiet throughout all the excitement, but had a radiant smile on his face the whole time. Hiccup couldn't fault him, smiling himself for his cousin and the way the engagement had happened. The auburn found it typical and not at all surprising that Minden was the one who asked first; proving time and time again her strong nature. He was surprised by how sudden it seemed. The two hadn't been dating long at all, but Snotlout looked sure of himself and happy. Now he was moving back to Berk with his girlfriend turned fiancee, much to Hiccup's amazement. When Snotlout left, he said he was never coming back, that he was done with the backwoods island. Minden must be behind all this if Snotlout was willing to change his mind about moving back.

The drive back into town wasn't much better and they drove a bit more slowly as it was now dark, the sun having gone down an hour ago. But Dagur successfully made it to Hiccup's apartment and he asked to stay a moment so he could open the auburn's door, closing it once Hiccup was out. No words were said between them as they walked the short path from the parking lot to the front entrance, no needing to ask if he could escort Hiccup up to his apartment or wait for confirmation from the auburn. Hiccup opened the door this time and let it shut behind them as they walked up the steps to the second floor. Dagur walked close to him, arms almost touching as they made their way down the hall towards the end, both stopping in front of the door.

"Would you like to come in?" Hiccup did ask this time somewhat shyly and blushed at what the question could entail.

"Yes, but only because I need the bathroom," Dagur replied with a chuckle, stepping inside once the door was unlocked and opened. The redhead wasn't lying about needing the bathroom and went straight for it once inside, bypassing a meowing Toothless.

The cat followed after the redhead and sat down outside the bathroom door, looking and pawing it; tail swishing in irritation. He then meowed loudly that ended in a growl and Hiccup rolled his eyes while his mouth curved in amusement. Hiccup didn't know what Dagur had done to make Toothless like him so much to the point that he could no longer go anywhere around the apartment without the cat there to bother him, but it was funny to watch as he listened to Dagur tell Toothless to leave him alone. In response, the feline laid down and began pushing his paws beneath the door and yowling louder, demanding to be let in. There was a flush, the sink being turned on and off, then the door opened. Toothless stood back up and looked up at Dagur when he came out and began mewling at him, chatting at him and following him as he went back to Hiccup.

Finally, Dagur bent down to pick Toothless up and held him to his chest, petting the cat down the length of his back. "You are a little terror."

"Only to you it seems because he knows you spoil him rotten," Hiccup chuckled, crossing his arms. He let out a long breath and looked down to the floor, shaking his head as everything that happened tonight ran through his head; still in disbelief that his cousin was engaged and moving back. 

"Because he's just so cute and friendly." Dagur grimaced when Toothless began to lick his chin with a rough tongue, purring quite loudly. "So how come you didn't let me tell them that we aren't boyfriend's?"

Oh, yeah... Hiccup had forgotten about that. "Because they were teasing. They know that we're not dating yet, but like to poke fun at it sometimes." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Ah, I guess that makes sense. Ow!" Dagur pulled his chin way when Toothless nipped at his chin, telling the human to quit talking and let him lick. "Little monster."

Hiccup giggled and took off his jacket, hanging it over the back of the couch. He took a moment to stare at the other, watching him smother his cat in kisses and pets, and felt his breath leave him at the soft look on the redhead's face. The man was absolutely handsome, face shaven or not, and he made Hiccup's heart pick up whenever he was around him. The auburn couldn't help but smile whenever he was around Dagur and he knew for sure he was ready to take the next step with the redhead. But he didn't have the courage...

Hiccup was so ready to move forward and tell Dagur he was, but the words wouldn't come. What if Dagur wasn't ready? What if he rejected Hiccup and decided he didn't want to be with the auburn after all? What if Dagur liked what they had going right now? The not dates and teasing that lead to nothing. What if Dagur got what he wanted and dumped Hiccup? It was hard to think about and one of those could possibly happen if he told the redhead now. But it needed to be said, Hiccup knew, because how else would he know if Dagur was ready or not or when he will be if he wasn't. Not knowing was hard, but what if Dagur's answer was more painful than what Hiccup could conjure up in his head. The auburn froze and hadn't noticed that said redhead was now staring at him, eyebrows starting to furrow in concern.

"You ok?" Dagur asked quietly as he sat Toothless down, ignoring him as the feline rubbed against his legs.

Hiccup startled out of his thoughts and rubbed a hand over his face, eyes aching from how tired he was of keeping them open. "Yeah, just tired and my mind just doesn't want to calm down."

"Is there anything I can do?" Dagur moved to stand in front of him and kept his hands to himself even though it looked as if he wanted to reach out to Hiccup.

"Can you hold me and sing for me again?" Hiccup whispered a bit sheepishly and couldn't look Dagur in the eye, rubbing the back of his neck.

The redhead let out a small huff of amusement and wrapped his arms around Hiccup's waist, pulling the auburn close. Hiccup wrapped his own arms around Dagur's shoulders and leaned his head down against one of them. The redhead began a gentle rock and began to hum quietly first before words began to flow from his mouth, something soft and peaceful. But Hiccup wasn't paying attention to the lyrics and was letting the other's voice wash over him, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment. His mind started to settle and if Dagur hadn't been holding him up, he would have slumped to the floor in exhaustion.

Dagur was warm against him and Hiccup wanted to ask him to stay the night, to sleep in the same bed with him and continue to hold him. If something were to happen between them during the night, Hiccup wouldn't mind at all and would even welcome it. He knew he should be asking Dagur to leave, but he couldn't find it in him to do so. First he wasn't able to tell the redhead that he was ready and now he wasn't able to tell him to leave? Hiccup was all kinds of messed up right now with how many emotions were rushing through him, but it all seemed to pin point in wanting Dagur. Hiccup lifted his chin to kiss Dagur on the cheek, a light press of lips on the section of skin, before setting his head back down.

A set of lips pressed against his neck in reply and goosebumps covered his skin as a pleasant shiver went down his spin. Hiccup sighed out a quiet groan and held onto Dagur tighter, that one light press already making his knees turn to jelly. Hiccup waited for the redhead to pull away and make some excuse to leave, but the mouth opened slightly for a sliver of a tongue to poke out and taste Hiccup's skin. The auburn gasped at the feel and moved a hand to grip the back of Dagur's head and hold him there. The arms around Hiccup tightened as Dagur's mouth opened fully and sucked almost cautiously on that small spot.

"Dagur..." Hiccup groaned and leaned his head to the side to give the other more room to play.

Dagur pressed the flat of his tongue against Hiccup's neck as he slid to another patch of skin to lavish, kissing and sucking until a bruise formed. He moved further up until he was where jaw met neck just below the ear and attacked, making Hiccup's knees grow weak and draw out embarrassing noises from him as the front of his pants began to tighten. Hiccup wasn't the only one getting excited and felt Dagur's bulge pressing up against his leg. Hiccup let the hand not holding the redhead's hair move from Dagur's shoulder to move slowly down his chest and stomach to finally cup him through his pants.

Dagur gasped and pulled away as if burned, hands pushing Hiccup away and holding him there as he panted. The motion emotionally pained Hiccup and he was unsure on how to react to the rejection. Dagur may not have said anything yet, but the auburn knew what was happening and he couldn't properly prepare himself enough to hear it.

"We need to stop," Dagur mumbled after a few beats, taking a few breaths to calm himself. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me-"

"No!" Hiccup snapped in an angry whisper, pulling further away and Dagur's hands dropped to his sides from the loss of contact. The look of shocked hurt from the redhead quieted his fuming if only a small bit. But Dagur didn't get to excite him only to pull away, that wasn't fair. 

"No," he repeated, barely heard. "Dagur..." Hiccup sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You can't just do that and leave me hanging, teasing me then pushing me away. It's... It's not fair." He stared at the other, sure that his face showed how upset he had become. He watched as a look of guilt crossed over Dagur's face, glancing down for a second before gazing back up at Hiccup. "Dagur... I know we both agreed to not start anything physical just yet, but I can't hold out anymore. Especially when you do something like that. I want to be with you, fully. I want to take you to my bed right now and let you ravish me until the light comes up. I'm... I'm ready. To move forward." He stopped, seeing Dagur's facial expressions change from surprise, to desire, to guilt once more. Hiccup did not like that last one at all and frowned slightly, waiting for the blow to come.

"I..." Dagur choked out, stopping to clear his throat. "I think we should take a break from each other. At least for a little while." The last bit was rushed out when Hiccup paled while his face scrunched up in emotional pain. "Hiccup... I'm not ready to move forward yet." Dagur looked down at the floor in turmoil and did not look back up this time, Hiccup's turmoil going unnoticed. "I like you a lot and when we do have sex, I want it to be out of love and not out of some hasty, sloppy drunken desire to get into each other's pants. But I can't..."

"Because of Throk?" Hiccup hissed out angrily. If he wasn't emotionally sensitive right now, he would have winced and apologized. But his body was taking over his exhausted mind and the thought of not being able to get off with Dagur because the redhead was still too invested with his breakup with Throk really hurt. If he was properly thinking, Hiccup would have understood Dagur's hesitance, having not wanted to move forward either until now because of his own breakup with Eret.

Dagur and Throk broke up long before Hiccup and Eret did and if the redhead was still hesitant because of it, it meant the bond, the feelings, between Dagur and Throk was much stronger than the one between Hiccup and Eret. It also didn't help that Throk had moved on long before Dagur could and that must have messed with the redhead quite a bit. Must have really hurt more than what Dagur let on, hidden behind a mask of smiles and kindness with a bit of crazy. But Hiccup wasn't thinking of that, he was thinking of himself. Thinking about how could Dagur still be so attached to Throk after all this time while courting Hiccup? Thinking how could Dagur willingly tease him and yet not finish what he started? Thinking how could Dagur not want to move forward yet? All Hiccup was thinking now was that Dagur was trying to let him down easy, yet it hurt more than being outright told so.

If Hiccup was in his right mind, he would not have been so selfish.

Dagur's jaw clenched at the accusation, but did not deny it, eyebrows furrowed and fists clenching repeatedly as he tried to hold on to some semblance of calm. 

Hiccup knew he hit a nerve, but he was angry, frustrated, and emotionally tired to care right then. When the other stayed quiet, the auburn grimaced as he nodded his head, thinking that Dagur's silence was telling enough. "Ok.... Ok..."

"Hiccup," Dagur voiced quietly, hurt and full of panic. If Hiccup had paid any attention, he would have seen it rising in the redhead's features.

Instead, Hiccup wouldn't, couldn't, look at Dagur and held up a hand to stop him from saying anything else. "You can go now."

"Hiccup please-"

"Just!" Hiccup snapped his head up to glare at the redhead. "Just go! You wanted a break from me? So go!" He pointed towards the door and didn't notice that Toothless had retreated to the bedroom with his ears back when his human yelled.

"That's not-" Dagur started to say, but Hiccup cut him off once more.

"Go! Just go! Now! Get out of my apartment!" the auburn all but screamed, tears filling his vision and rolling down his cheeks.

Dagur looked utterly devestated, tears gathering in his own eyes but not falling as he stared at Hiccup. His throat worked painfully around words that would not come and left in hurry, doing what Hiccup told him to do. The closing of the door was a like a punch in the gut and the auburn felt all breath leave him as he crumbled to the floor, gasping for air. He wailed in pain as he realized what he had just done and pressed his face into the ground, tears puddling beneath his temple and cheek and snot running down his nose. He felt like someone had taken his heart and crushed it, the feeling stronger than the breakup with Eret and he knew right then and there that he was in love with Dagur.

He was in love with Dagur and the redhead rejected him. How fucking cruel the world can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And shots fired! Suspense and anger for all!!!! Sorry, not sorry, but I still hope you continue to read and show the love. Leave a comment or kudo.
> 
> Red carnations signify love or adoration.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! Hope you guys enjoy it! Thank you guys for sticking by and showing the love, it truly does mean a lot and I really appreciate it.

Love can mean very many things to many people in many languages, but it all comes to the same things. Paternal love, familial love, friendship love, love for certain objects, and then love of a spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner. Some are very devastating when the love of a person or object is broken, suicidal even depending on the strength of it or mental instability of the hurt person. The saying love hurts can be very true indeed and often times can keep people away from finding it again for fear of being broken again.

While Hiccup thought of himself as dramatic, he was nowhere near being suicidal or mentally unstable, but he was hurt. Very much so. He couldn't function properly the next day, hardly getting up from his bed unless he had to use the bathroom or grab a glass of water. Toothless stuck to his side the whole time as if he could feel his human's sadness himself and didn't even yowl for food when Hiccup forgot. Dagur had called many times once the sun rose and Hiccup ignored every one before finally turning it off and throwing it somewhere in the darkness of his room. He was angry, depressed, frustrated, and guilty.

When Hiccup woke up some time during the night, still on the floor in his living room, he cried some more as he remembered what had happened, but his thought process was still jumbled up and didn't realize he could still turn this around by apologizing to Dagur and talking with him. All that ran through his head throughout the day was that he and Dagur were no more and nothing would become of them. He pushed Dagur away and he hated how he did it, yelling and screaming at the redhead to go when all he wanted to do was explain things to Hiccup. But Hiccup didn't want to hear it. Hear Dagur tell him why he wasn't ready for fear of what he would say. The auburn guessed it did have to deal with Throk and that really stung to know Dagur still had feelings for the guy. He liked Hiccup he said, but he still held deep emotions for Throk and how could Hiccup compete with that. 

He wallowed in self pity for the next two days, throwing himself back into work on the second day and feeling like he had before meeting Dagur. But it felt much worse because the love he felt for the redhead was much stronger than the love he had felt for Eret despite only knowing Dagur a month. He didn't even know Dagur all that well as he would have liked, that was blatant from some of the small lies Dagur told during story telling at Hiccup's parents' home. The redhead had a past that he was terrified to share with Hiccup and the auburn now began to really evaluate the significance of it. His mind tried supplimenting on what the other had done to make Dagur so scared to tell him, but all he could come up with were drugs, gang related things, or eyewitness protection. Drugs seemed to make the most sense and Hiccup didn't really care if that was what it was as long as Dagur stayed away from them.

It wasn't until the third day, the Sunday they were supposed to play games, that Hiccup finally figured out and understood what Dagur was trying to say and why. But it wasn't out of his own violation, no, his cousin Snotlout seemed to drag it out of him with some wise words. The smaller man seemed to be full of wisdom lately since meeting Minden. Hiccup had gotten up early and finished a project for a client ahead of schedule and started working on another client's computer drive (it winded up being toast and unsalvageable) when there was a knock on his door. It wasn't unexpected, but who it could be was anybody's guess. He just hoped to Odin it wasn't Dagur, Hiccup didn't think he could face the other just yet. Maybe never.

Hiccup ignored the first and second round of knocking, hoping whoever was at the front door would get the message and go away, but at the third and louder insistent banging followed by Snotlout yelling, "I know you're in there, Hiccup! Open up!", the auburn stood up from the couch with an irritated groan. He knew his cousin wouldn't leave until he at least opened the door to tell the smaller man to go away. But as soon as he opened the door, Snotlout forced himself in, almost pushing Hiccup to the ground when he shoved the door open, and closed it quickly behind him before the auburn could act.

"What the hell Snotlout?!" Hiccup hissed as he rubbed where the doorknob had hit his hip.

The smaller man rolled his eyes at Hiccup's indignant cry and crossed his arms over his chest, giving the auburn an unimpressed look. "You look like shit, cuz."

"Yes, I'm aware," Hiccup huffed in annoyance and opened the door, motioning for the other to get out. "If that is all you wanted to say, please leave." He wasn't exactly sure how bad he looked right now, having not looked in the mirror the past couple of days, but it must be bad if Snotlout was actually giving him a worried stare. "Was there a reason why you barged in here?"

"I barged in here 'cause I knew you would close the door as soon as you tell me to go away and I wanted to get a good look at your digs before I sign the paperwork to my and Minden's new apartment." Snotlout gave a short glance around the room, looking impressed, before staring back at Hiccup and gave him another once over. "But now I'm more interested on what could possibly make you look like... that."

"It's none of your of business and why do you need to know what my place looks like? How do you even know where I live?" He didn't remember mentioning it to his cousin, but used it to hopefully change the topic onto something safer and hoped Snotlout was still easily distracted to follow along.

"An apartment just opened in your building on the first floor and when I mentioned it to mom she told me that you live here." Snotlout looked as if he might continue on that train of thought, but shook his head suddenly as if to clear it. "But that's no longer important right now. So what happened? Did you and Dagur get into a fight?"

Hiccup kept his face blank to hide his emotions and through gritted teeth repeated, "That is none of your business," a bit more firmer.

"Well now I'm making it my business." Snotlout stood his ground, barely shivering at the glare he received. "You don't go from looking like the happiest girl at the ball to Mr. Doom&Gloom in just three days without something happening. And I'm not demanding to know just so I can have some gossiping material, but because I genuinely care and yes I know what that word means." Snotlout sighed loudly and deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose when Hiccup continued to stand there quietly with the door open. "Look, I get it. I have no right to go asking anything of you after I started ghosting you and only showing interest again when something significant happened. But I do really care for you and I know I'm an idiot at the best of times and probably not the best person to talk to about these kind of things. But I am here if you need to talk, ok?"

Hiccup chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought for a few long moments, his cousin waiting patiently, but awkwardly, for his answer. Hiccup closed the door quietly before motioning Snotlout to sit down on the couch and sat down as well, both taking opposite sides. Hiccup then recounted on what happened after dinner Thursday night, leaving nothing out which made Snotlout become uncomfortable with some of the details. But the smaller man listened, guarding his expressions the best he could even when Hiccup started to stumble over the last of it, when he kicked Dagur out of his apartment. Hiccup was glad that Snotlout was acting like a soundboard instead of making his usual teasing comments and Hiccup wondered if Minden was a witch, controlling Snotlout.

"Well," Snotlout started slowly when Hiccup finished as if weighing his thoughts before continuing. "You kinda sound like a douche to be honest."

"What?!" Hiccup exclaimed angrily, glaring at the other.

Snotlout quickly raised his hands, but didn't try to backtrack like he usually tended to do. "Look, I can understand being upset at Dagur at being a cock tease and good on you for calling him out on it, but the way you handled it afterwards was kinda messed up. But I know what it's like to be out of your mind with lust and all rational thought goes bye-bye." Snotlout bent his fingers in a small wave. "So I can't fault you for acting that way, but not talking to him after three days is kinda... stupid."

Hiccup opened his mouth to argue, but the smaller man plowed on.

"Remember when Ruffnut and I used to date?" Snotlout asked, confusing Hiccup by the question.

"... Yes, it ended up being a disaster," the auburn replied after a moment, eyebrows furrowed questioningly. "But what does-"

"When she broke up with me, I was all kinds of messed up," Snotlout interupted as he leaned back in a slouch, eyes pointed forwards as a dark look filled them. Hiccup raised a brow at this because he didn't remember his cousin acting anything but himself after the breakup. "I really liked Ruffnut, like really liked her. Like I actually thought on purposing to her before we went to college."

Hiccup's eyes widened in shock at this. He couldn't remember a time where Snotlout was serious about a girl and the smaller man never showed that kind of interest in Ruffnut when around others. Probably what drove them to breakup.

"I was depressed for a really long time and couldn't find it in myself to date another woman seriously because I didn't feel ready. I couldn't move on for a while and I thought that that would be unfair if I were to date someone only to be thinking of another girl at the time. Hence why I tended to sleep around more than date. It was easy." Snotlout paused and glanced over at Hiccup, raising a brow questioningly at him. "But then I met Minden and she made me want to move on, but it was hard and scary, but she was there waiting for me until I finally asked her out."

Hiccup looked down at his knees as he began to piece together what Snotlout's words were pointing at.

"Don't you think that Dagur is absolutely terrified about moving on because he's afraid of losing an important piece of his life by replacing it with you? Not necessarily all of it, but you get what I mean," Snotlout asked and shrugged when Hiccup snapped his gaze back up. "And maybe it's not all Throk that's holding him back. Maybe it's something from his past that he's terrified to share because he thinks you'll end up no longer liking him. Maybe he's scared to move forward with that hanging over his head and what it could do to his future with you. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am."

The auburn didn't think so either and dropped his head into his lap, horrified at what he had done. How could he be so self-absorbed that he didn't realize the reason for Dagur's hesitance or stayed patient with the redhead? While Dagur didn't help by making Hiccup sexually frustrated, he wasn't the one at fault here. Not entirely. Odin's dick, Hiccup was a fool and he needed to straighten everything out with Dagur, let him know he was sorry. 

"Who are you and what have you done with Snotlout?" Hiccup mumbled, his voiced muffled. He never knew Snotlout could be like... this.

The smaller man only snickered, but it was soft and emptied of any sort of teasing.

"I'm such an idiot," Hiccup continued in a hush, angry with himself for allowing himself to think with his pants and become overemotional. If he had calmed down and thought properly, he could have handled the situation three days ago better. Now, because he had allowed himself to become unnecessarily distraught and not even bother to clear up anything with Dagur, he may have lost his chance with the redhead.

"Yup," Snotlout readily agreed, popping the p as he pulled out his phone and began typing on it.

"I gotta call Dagur, tell him I'm sorry. I need to... I need..." Hiccup grabbed for his phone with shaky hands and promptly dropped it on the floor. He felt like he couldn't breathe and began gasping as he grabbed his phone again, struggling to unlock it. The phone was suddenly taken from his hands and before he could protest, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, squeezing him tightly.

"Shhh, Hiccup. It's ok," Snotlout whispered with unsureness, patting his back hesitantly. "You need to calm down and breathe. You can make up with him after you've calmed down. Don't want to freak him out."

Hiccup would have laughed hysterically at Snotlout's attempt at comforting him if he wasn't busy concentrating on trying to match his breath with his cousin's. The hugging was helping, barely but it was enough, and Snotlout's familiar smell and voice was just enough to finish bringing Hiccup back down from his panic attack. He went slack in the smaller man's arms and realized that he had been crying, making Snotlout's shirt wet, but his cousin continued to hold him until the auburn's body shivers finally subsided. Snotlout finally let go and Hiccup pulled back, rubbing the wetness from his face.

"Sorry," Hiccup whispered, staring at the wet spot on Snotlout's shoulder.

"Eh, it's ok. Don't worry about it," Snotlout replied with a shrug, looking a bit awkward and unsure on what to do now. "You ok now?"

Hiccup shook his head sadly. "Not until I talk to Dagur." He sniffed and rubbed his nose over his shirt covered arm, drawing a disgusted look from his cousin, who quickly tried to hide it.

"Not in the condition you're in right now. When's the last time you properly slept? Take a nap first and then try giving Dagur a call." When Hiccup hesitated, the smaller man added, "I'll stick around for a bit if it'll help. Minden knows where I am and I'm sure she won't mind if I'm a little late for dinner tonight."

The auburn opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. Snotlout was hardly ever like this, showing his kind side in certain situations had never involved Hiccup. He wasn't going to let this go to waste and he nodded as he laid down on the couch, curling up on his side and facing the back of it. In a surprising act of gentleness, Snotlout grabbed his socked feet and allowed them to rest on his lap so Hiccup could stretch out. The smaller man reached for the remotes and asked a few short questions on how they worked before keeping quiet while watching TV, the noise low. Hiccup hadn't realized how tired he was until he finally allowed his body to relax and closed his eyes, breath evening out.

....

Hiccup woke to the feel of someone shaking him awake none too gently, whispering his name and demanding he wake up. When Hiccup made a disgruntled groan the shaking stopped and the auburn rubbed his eyes as he turned onto his back, wondering why he was on the couch. Then he wondered who could possibly be in his apartment and sat up slowly after opening his eyes, gazing up at Snotlout. Everything came back to him and his eyes widened, reaching for his phone to see what time it was. But then he remembered that Snotlout had taken his phone and he didn't know where the other had put it. Maybe it was time to finally invest in a clock to hang on one of his living room walls from how many times he slept on the couch without his phone nearby. Get one that glows in the dark.

"What time is it?" Hiccup asked, voice rough from sleep, and rubbed his eyes.

"Close to six PM. Figured you slept long enough and could use something to eat," Snotlout replied as he typed something on his phone, a small smirk playing the edge of his mouth. He quickly cleared his throat when he noticed Hiccup looking at him and relaxed his face. "I took the liberty of ordering you food and used your card to pay for it. It should be here soon, but I gotta go. Don't want to be anymore late for my date than I already am."

Hiccup nodded and leaned his head back against the couch, closing his eyes as he yawned. "Thanks... for staying."

"No problem, but hopefully I won't be needed for any more hugging. That was uncomfortable." Snotlout slid his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. "And no more wise Snotlout talks, that's just not me."

Hiccup huffed out a laugh through his nose as he smirked, understanding that Snotlout was trying to cover up how uncomfortable and nervous he was by playing the asshole card. Hiccup didn't mind, seeing on how Snotlout really was no good at doing the whole deep conversation thing without feeling vulnerable, which was something his cousin hated. "As long as I don't have another breakdown around you, I think we're good."

"Good. Great... Um, I'll see you later," Snotlout mumbled as he hesitantly patted Hiccup's forehead, making the auburn giggle. The smaller man grabbed his jacket and left in a hurry, but didn't slam the door shut on the way out.

Hiccup was thankful for that and let out a long drawn out sigh. He needed to call Dagur and soon, now preferably and ask if they could meet up. He didn't want to do the whole apologizing over the phone despite knowing he would feel more confident in not being able to see Dagur's face. But that was too impersonal and didn't sit well in his stomach to handle it that way. He needed to show Dagur how sorry he was and the only way to do that was face to face. The question now was should he call before or after the food Snotlout ordered for him came? He didn't know exactly when the food would come and didn't want to be interupted when the delivery was made and certainly didn't want to talk to Dagur on a full stomach for fear of throwing up on him. He could send a text now, but that too seemed impersonal. Talking to the redhead would have to wait until after the food was delivered and put away in the fridge.

The sound of a chocobo wark brought his attention to the coffee table where his phone sat; he had a text. Hiccup stared at the lit up screen for a second before reaching for it in reluctance. The text could be from someone important, someone like Dagur, and he didn't want to miss this chance to redeem himself. Hiccup frowned in disappointment when he saw it was just a text from the company his phone service goes through, letting him know his payment for the month went through and telling him when the next payment was. He deleted it and let the device drop in his lap while letting his head fall back against the couch with a groan. The suspense was killing him and he just needed to get it over with before he talked himself out of it. Hiccup rubbed his face as he let out a whine of annoyance before picking up his phone once more, unlocking it and tapping on his contacts.

"Never, never, never say never. Ne dis jamais jamais. Better, better believe in forever and it can be that way."

Hiccup gasped softly at the muffled voice filtering in through the front door, drawing his gaze towards it; if it wasn't for the crack below the door, he never would have heard it. He could have sworn that it was Dagur's voice coming through the space between the door and the floor, but he must have been imagining it. Must have because there was no way Dagur could be here right now.

"You think that you could never love again. The one time really tore you apart, so don't even try to touch your heart. You're never going to give it again."

Nope, that was definitely Dagur. Hiccup slowly stood up and made his way to the door, leaning his forehead against it and closing his eyes as the redhead sang, letting Dagur's voice roll over him like a gentle wave. Relief filled him as he realized Dagur was here, at his apartment, serenading him through the door where anyone could see him doing it.

"Never, never, never say never. Ne dis jamais jamais. Better, better believe in forever and it can be that way. You think that too much joy can only bring pain. Before you know it, it can be gone, but give me a chance to prove you're wrong. You'll never say never again."

Hiccup smiled softly to himself as he slid down the door to kneel on the ground, feeling his eyes tear up and fall down his cheeks. He was unsure of the other's song choice, but it didn't matter as Hiccup understood (or hoped he understood) the reason behind it and his heart beat hard within his chest. Odin please let this be what Hiccup thought it was because he didn't know if he could handle another heartbreak right now and knowing it would hurt more with Dagur terrified him. But as he listened to the other sing and heard the words, he was sure this wasn't Dagur trying to let him down in an easy way.

"Never, never, never say never. Ne dis jamais jamais. Better, better believe in forever and it can be that way. Take time to smell the roses, don't hold back your one chance. It hardly lasts, it hardly lasts.  
Better, better believe in forever. Out here I stand with my heart in my hand, my hopes on a wing and a prayer. I must have been born with a hole in my head cause I've never said these things before."

Hiccup chuckled unconsciously as he turned around to sit down with his back to the door and Dagur stumbled a bit, having heard it. When the redhead continued the last bit of the song, he sounded more upbeat, more confident, better than when he started.

"Never, never, never say never. Ne dis jamais jamais. Better, better believe in forever, and it can be that way." 

Hiccup let out a long breath while wiping the wet from his face, silence replacing the sound of Dagur's voice as he finished; both unsure on what to say or do next. The auburn sat there a few short moments, wondering what he should do, but it must have been too long for a sigh full of disappointment came from the other side and the sound of someone moving away forced Hiccup into motion. Hiccup quickly stood up and opened his door enough to peek out his head, seeing a certain redhead walking away with his head down, shoulders slumped, and a hand in his pocket while the other held a bag; a typical posture of defeat. But upon hearing the door click open, Dagur looked over his shoulder and stiffened at seeing Hiccup while also looking relieved. Dagur turned fully around, but made no move towards Hiccup and his eyes were moving from one emotion to the next that it was difficult to place each one.

"Would," Hiccup started in a whisper, too quiet for Dagur to hear, and he took a deep a breath to calm his nerves before continuing, "Would you like to come in?"

"Do you want me too?" Dagur mumbled, hurt evident in his tone.

Hiccup winced minutely, but nodded. "Yes, please." He moved out of the way and left the door open as Dagur walked back to the door, hesitantly entering the apartment. Dagur closed it behind him softly and did not move any further and Hiccup had a feeling he wouldn't even if the auburn asked. Hiccup opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He didn't know what to say exactly, not having enough time to properly come up with a speech that he would have rehearsed for hours before Dagur came.

"I'm sorry."

Hiccup's mouth snapped shut and stared wide eyed at Dagur, confused on why the redhead was the one apologizing. "Wha-why?"

"For everything. The teasing, the touching, pulling away before we could go further," Dagur explained, wall up as he stared at Hiccup, but the slouch in his shoulders said everything. "For letting my fears and emotions for Throk and my past hold me back when I was finally allowed to have you. I'm terrified that you might not like hearing about what I was like once I tell you everything and I wanted to share my past with you before moving forward. But... I'm not quite ready. For the past sharing I mean." A hand came up to rub a shoulder as he glanced away towards the hallway where Toothless came running out, meowing loudly at the redhead.

When Dagur didn't smile or make a move to pick up the feline, something the other always did, Hiccup felt awful because he knew he was the one to make Dagur this way and it did not fit the redhead at all. Hiccup swallowed thickly before saying, "No, I should be the one who's sorry. If I wasn't letting my emotions and desires control my actions I would have understood as I had been there myself until recently. Well, with the whole healing from a breakup, not the past thing. But... I was so tired and my nerves were shot that I snapped without thinking."

"It's not your fault-"

"Yes it is," Hiccup interrupted and let out a quick sigh, running a hand over his face and up his forehead to rest it in his hair. He closed his eyes a moment to gather his thoughts and was glad Dagur kept silent, waiting for the auburn to continue. "I never should have shouted at you like that." He opened his eyes to stare at Dagur who was still watching him in guarded silence. "I shouldn't have kicked you out like that and I should have just listened to you, talked to you instead of feeling sad for myself." He dropped his hand and rested both on his hips as he allowed himself to stare down at the floor; that blank expression was a bit too much to handle.

"Hiccup, we're both at fault in our own ways here and I'm willing to put it past us even if you don't want to see me anymore."

Hiccup snapped his head up as his arms went slack at his sides, hearing the downtrodden tone in Dagur's voice and the depression peeking its' way onto his face. It was unsettling and Hiccup felt his breathing pick up at the thought of not seeing the other anymore. "No!" He bit his lip as his yell seemed to startle Dagur. "Sorry, no. No I want to continue seeing you. While I didn't mean to shout at you to get out the other night, I did mean it when I said I was ready to move forward. To be with you... I still do. And if you're not ready to share your past with me yet, that's fine. It's who you are now that matters to me."

Dagur took in a sharp breath at the confession and the wall fell bit by bit as he strode forward hesitantly as the bag fell from his hand, not stopping until he was in front of Hiccup. He raised a hand and touched the auburn's cheek gently with the tips of his fingers before cupping the side of Hiccup's face. The auburn leaned into the touch and stared into Dagur's eyes as he raised a hand of his own to settle on the nap of the redhead's neck, the other settling on Dagur's hip. Dagur searched his face, finding something, anything, that said Hiccup was lying. But upon seeing none, he let out a shaky breath and sagged in relief.

"Do you still need some time?" Hiccup asked in a whisper, his thumb rubbing gently over Dagur's neck. "Because I can wait."

"No," Dagur sighed out quickly. His other hand went up to cup Hiccup's other cheek and leaned forward to rest their foreheads together. "No, I'm ready. Being without you for three days made me realize what I truly want and that is you. Throk may hold a special place in my heart just as Eret does yours, but you do now as well and it's bigger, stronger, in the forefront of everything that I want to move forward now. And my past... I promise I'll tell you someday."

Hiccup nodded and felt heat rise up in his cheeks while his stomach fluttered with excited butterflies. "Same here. I want to be with you and it hurt when you didn't reciprocate it that night. I understand now," he quickly added when it sounded like Dagur was about to speak and moved his head back so he could gaze into the other's eyes again. "And it was Snotlout of all people who made me." He raised a brow when the redhead's furrowed some.

"... Snotlout actually called me earlier today, telling me I should come and try and talk to you. Said to bring a meal as well and told me when it was alright for me to come," Dagur said as he allowed his hands to slide down the auburn's face to his shoulders, looking back towards the bag that he had dropped. Some of the contents had fallen out, but nothing had spilled. "I didn't know what to expect when I came here and I didn't know if you would have opened the door for me."

"So you sang for me," Hiccup stated as he too moved his hand on Dagur's neck down to the other hip, holding them softly. "I had hoped you were trying to serenade me your feelings and I was glad I was right in thinking that. Interesting song choice though." He then chuckled. "I'm guessing your the food delivery guy, hm?"

Dagur snickered. "Yes... To tell the truth, I didn't know I was going to sing to you until I stood in front of your door with no words to say and that song was the first thing that popped into my head." He scratched the side of his head as he looked down in embarrassment. "I wanted to explain to you why I was so hesitant and that song kinda made sense at the time."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes in suspicion as a grin started to form, head tilted a bit as he moved forward some. "Wait, so you were singing about yourself from both angles? That actually makes a little more sense since you knew I was ready to move on with you and ready to date again."

"Yup." Dagur chuckled once more as he shifted forward as well, eyes shining with happiness.

"Will you kiss me now," Hiccup whispered in amused annoyance. "Because for Odin's sake if you don't after all this-"

A press of lips against his stopped his rant and he sucked in a sharp breath through his nose, hands gripping Dagur's waist tightly at the unexpected fireworks shooting inside his body. Hiccup closed his eyes as he reciprocated the kiss, the touch soft and dry, and shivered when Dagur replaced his hands on the auburn's neck and the back of his head. It was quick and before Hiccup was ready, the other pulled away with a smile that he returned, but he was no where near satisfied. Hiccup moved forward and pressed a little harder, shifting his head to the side as their mouths slotted against each other so they fit together better. Dagur chuckled and forced Hiccup's mouth open with his tongue without asking or hesitance, making the auburn gasp as another rack of shivers ran down his body.

Hiccup wrapped his arms around Dagur's waist and began walking backwards to the couch, manouvering them until the auburn was able to lie down while dragging the other with him. He separated his legs so Dagur could fit between them and both gasped when their growing erections pressed against each other. Hiccup was unsure and frightened by this sudden hunger, this overbearing need, to touch, kiss, grind against Dagur after just a simple touch of lips. It was amazing how fast either of them were hardening in their pants before they had even reached down to touch and they couldn't pull away long enough to pull off a shirt or take off their pants, the need to come and stay pressed together too great. The hardness grinding through their jeans and sweats gave such lovely friction that Hiccup was already on the edge and squeezing the other tightly in his hold, wrapping his legs around Dagur's hips.

They panted against each others' mouths and face as kissing became too difficult to manage any more, their focus now drawn to their loins; the need to get off and do it now. Dagur pressed his face into Hiccup's neck and mumbled things the auburn couldn't hear, too far gone to pay attention to do anything else. He was close, so close to coming but needed something-Hiccup gasped loudly when Dagur bit down on the lobe of his ear, sending pleasurable shivers down his spine and forcing the orgasm out of him. Dagur stiffened above him and let out a low groan as he too came, Hiccup able to feel each pulse through their clothes. They laid there, panting and holding each other as they calmed down.

"Fuck..." Dagur mumbled after a few beats, pushing himself up onto his arms and staring down at Hiccup with glossy eyes. His face held affection, happiness, and awe as he gazed down.

Hiccup smiled up while still trying to catch his breath, hands moving to lay on his sides. "Fuck indeed."

The two snickered, Dagur letting his forehead rest on Hiccup's chest. The desire was still there, but it wasn't as strong as before and Hiccup was willing to have some time before either of them try to bring the other off again. Laying there in the aftermath of their frottage, close together and laughing, was something Hiccup didn't want to change just yet before they were driven by lust again. Dagur had similar thoughts for he laid there on top of Hiccup motionless even as his prick was beginning to harden again.

"I love you," Hiccup whispered as he glanced down at the top of Dagur's head with a half lidded gaze, his mind taking a few second to realize what he just said. His eyes widened just after Dagur snapped his head up to stare at Hiccup in surprise and the auburn held his breath as he waited for Dagur to say something, not even trying to take back what he said as it was true. He just hadn't mean to say it out loud. It had only been a month, but it was what he felt. He knew it to be love as he felt the same thing for Eret once, but it held much more significance now than it had then. When Dagur said nothing and continued to stare at him in shock, he repeated it. This time more surely. "I love you."

Dagur let out a small gasp, realizing he had been holding his breath, and tears gathered in his eyes as he finally processed what the other had said. He kissed Hiccup hungrily for a short moment before replying, "I love you too. Odin knows it's too early to say something like that after knowing each other a month. But dammit, I fucking love you."

Hiccup grinned widely and pulled Dagur into another kiss, the heat starting to take over once more. He wanted, no he needed, to touch the other and he pushed both of them up with some difficulty so he could stand. When Dagur tried to as well, Hiccup stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder and pushing him back down onto the couch, this time in a seated position. He didn't want to wait anymore than was necessary and pushed Dagur's legs apart so he could sit between them, hands going straight for his jeans. The redhead's eyes widened in realization and lifted his hips to help Hiccup push his pants down his thighs. The boxers went next, shoved just enough to be out of the way and Dagur's cock sprang free of its' confinement. The head mostly wet with spent.

"Fuck..." Hiccup said breathlessly as he stared at the sight before him. He wanted to get his mouth around it, suck the left behind come off, but he hadn't a clue if Dagur was clean. He also hadn't gotten checked in a long while either and he didn't want to catch anything because of his eagerness. "I want to-but I can't..." he stumbled to say, the want coursing through him making it difficult to form a complete sentence.

He decided on standing up once more to pull his soiled sweats down, revealing he hadn't worn underwear today, and quickly sat on Dagur's lap to press their cocks together. They both groaned at the touch, taking a moment to enjoy the heated feeling of skin on skin on the most intiment part of their body. Dagur pressed closed mouth kisses along Hiccup's neck, breathing heavily through his nose and hands resting just above the curve of the auburn's bum. Fingers gently massaged the skin and muscle there and Hiccup moaned softly at the pleasurable touches, beginning to move his hips over Dagur's. Spitting in his hand, Hiccup wrapped his long fingers over both of their pricks and held them tightly together as he began to thrust up into his hand and along the underside of Dagur's cock.

"Oh Odin," Dagur gasped into Hiccup's shoulder after pressing a kiss there. "You have no idea how much I've been waiting for this."

"I may have a vague idea," Hiccup replied in a breathless moan when teeth scraped over the bump of his shoulder bone that had become more prodaminant from the lack of eating the past three days. "I want you.."

"You have me."

"No, I mean... I want you." Hiccup sped up his hand as the heat pooled in his stomach began to travel down to his groin, another orgasm on its' way. "I want you to fuck me."

Dagur groaned and shivered, pressing his forehead against Hiccup's neck. "I want to. Hell do I want to, but I want our first time of penetrative sex to be under better sercumstances." He held back a curse when a thumb slid over the head of his cock. "It doesn't... It doesn't feel right to do it right now. I want to make love with you."

Hiccup nodded in agreement despite the disappointment, understanding. He didn't want their first time of making love to be over and done with like what they were doing now, trying to get the edge off after so many days of being teased and left wanting. He wanted it slow, to tease and be teased, work up to the point of no return. He tightened his arm wrapped around Dagur's shoulder and let out a small cry as he spent over his hand, the orgasm not as strong as the first. Dagur removed the auburn's hand to rewrap it around his own prick and wrapped his own large hand over Hiccup's, tightening both of them and jerking himself off quickly. Dagur muffled his cry in Hiccup's shoulder, eyes squeezing shut and hips jerking up in small pulses.

Dagur fell back against the couch and Hiccup collapsed on top of him, both exhausted. Exhaustion from the last three days finally catching up with them, desire fulfilled for the time being. They gave themselves a moment to catch their breath once more before Hiccup moved to sit beside Dagur, pressing up against him; not willing to part from him yet even though he wanted to grab a damp cloth and wash the come from them before it dried. The apartment quieted, their breathing the only thing breaking the silence. Hiccup shifted so his head laid on Dagur's shoulder as his eyes fluttered closed, becoming harder to keep them open.

"Can I stay?" Dagur asked quietly, his voice keeping the other from fully nodding off.

Hiccup grabbed the redhead's hand and lifted his head while reopening his eyes to stare into the other's as he said, "Please."

With great reluctance and an overdramatic groan, Hiccup stood up and stretched. It was then he noticed the cold in his nether regions and remembered he was naked from the waist down. He flushed, but did not try to cover up; not after what they had just done, there was no need to. Odin's dick, did they really just do that? Hiccup looked over his shoulder to Dagur, who was still sitting there with his limp cock hanging free, and knew that this wasn't a dream no matter how much it felt like one. And if it was, he hoped to never wake up. He held out a hand with a small grin and pulled the redhead up to his feet. Dagur pulled his underwear and pants back up so he could walk properly, but did not bother to button it; grimacing at the cold wet of his spent in his underwear.

"You sharing your bed with me tonight?" Dagur asked curiously with a smirk, raising an eyebrow as Hiccup pulled him down the hallway.

"Yes," Hiccup answered simply with a smirk over his shoulder. He let go of the redhead once in his room and moved towards his dresser to pull out a new pair of briefs for himself, a pair of baggy sweats for Dagur. He handed the sweats to Dagur, but the redhead shook his head.

"If you don't mind, I sleep in the nude." Dagur began to undress, pulling his dirty pants and briefs off first before slipping his shirt over his head. The only light in the room came from out in the hallway, but it was enough for Hiccup to see the other in all his glory. Dagur held out his hands and did a slow spin while smirking, not at all embarrassed showing off. "Like what you see?"

"Very." Hiccup stepped up to the redhead and touched his left pec, biting his bottom lip as desire welled inside him once more. But his dick was not with the program and refused to stiffen. The auburn leaned in to kiss Dagur sweetly on the lips before pulling back to take off his own shirt. He didn't show off or hold out his arms in front of the other, feeling shy suddenly at being fully naked in front of Dagur.

But Dagur seemed to like what he saw for he let out a pleased sigh and ran his hands from Hiccup's neck, down his ribcage to settle on bony hips. "Thor, you're gorgeous." 

The auburn saw nothing but truth in the other's gaze and it made him smile, feeling comfortable in his own skin after so long. While Eret had told him he looked good or ok, the man never once called him beautiful or gorgeous and absolutely meant it or without adding something crude. There was always something wrong with Hiccup, like his hair looked too greasy, the shirt didn't fit his frame, the pants didn't look right, and so on and so forth. Dagur looked enamored with him as he took in the auburn's body with no hidden emotion or cruel joke waiting to come out to lower Hiccup's self esteem. No, the redhead looked so... in love that Hiccup's heart fluttered quickly as he felt the same for Dagur as well. The auburn allowed himself to be held and kissed gently, brought to the bed and laid down after Dagur pulled back the covers. Briefs forgotten, Hiccup curled against the other beneath the covers and let out a happy sigh.

His eyes snapped opened and he cursed below his breath. "We forgot about dinner."

Dagur cursed as well around a snicker and sat up. "Are you hungry?"

"No. Are you?"

"Not really. I'll go put it away and you can get back to sleep." The redhead leaned down to kiss Hiccup's cheek and stood up after running a hand over the auburn's side. "I love you."

Hiccup grinned brightly and gazed up at the other, saying, "I love you too."

The grin was returned just as brightly before Dagur stood up and walked out of the bedroom, a yowl from Toothless announced his forgotten presence and annoyance. A chuckle followed after along with a pur and Hiccup knew everything was back to the way it should be, but only better. He tried waiting until Dagur was done putting everything away, but with how draining the last three days had been and with the lack of sleep, Hiccup was out within seconds. He didn't even wake when the Dagur came back to bed with Toothless, the cat purring loud enough to wake the dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Never Say Never by Styx
> 
> Chocobos are from Final Fantasy 7
> 
> As always please drop a comment or kudo, show the love. Tell your friends, spread the word. Hope you are enjoying yourselves so far. Dagur's past will be revealed in later chapters don't worry.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the support, I really appreciate it! Hope you are all enjoying yourselves.

Hiccup woke with a start, taking in a sharp breath as his eyes blinked open and took a second to wonder why he was suddenly awake. The sound and vibrating feel of purring, a small weight, and the kneading of paws on his back made it easy to figure out quickly.

"Toothless..." he groaned tiredly, making the cat pur louder and knead harder with a hint of claws. "It's too early for this." Was it? He actually wasn't sure what time it was, but he still felt like he could use a few more hours of sleep. He blurrily turned his head to his nightstand to look at the clock blaring red numbers at him brightly in the semi-darkness. It was a little past eight in the morning, way before he was ready to be up. But Dagur had work in a couple of hours.....

Hiccup pushed himself up onto his hands quickly, jostling Toothless off him, and glanced down at the empty space beside him; memories of last night filling his head. He blushed heavily as his eyes widened, disbelief at everything that had happened and how quickly it escalated. He didn't regret it, though, but it felt like it happened too fast no matter how much he wanted it. And now, seeing Dagur wasn't currently in bed with him had him break out into a mild panic attack until he finally noticed the noise coming from outside the bedroom. 

Sitting up until his legs hung over the bed (the wrap attached to his prosthetic was going to need a good washing), Hiccup gave himself a few moments to wake up a bit more and put on his glasses before standing up and slipping on his barely used bathrobe that hung on his door. His bad leg protested as he put weight on it, having enough of the tight wrap constraining it and tired of having his stump pressed against heavy duty plastic more than was necessary. Hiccup ignored it in search for what was causing the noise in his apartment.

He limped down the hallway and followed the sounds and now smell into his kitchen, spying a certain redhead in the sweats the auburn tried giving him last night; tight across his ass and bunched up around the ankles. Dagur was currently pouring batter into a waffle iron that Hiccup forgot he had with a plate sitting next to it, fluffy waffles towering precariously on it, and humming quietly to himself as he closed the lid. Hiccup felt relief, love, and joy fill him at the sight of the other and finished his trek to Dagur, pressing against his back and hugging arms around his waist. Dagur leaned back into the hold and hummed louder, turning his head to kiss Hiccup on the cheek. The auburn turned his head so he could kiss the other on the lips, ignoring the morning breath.

"Good morning," Dagur greeted cheerfully against his lips.

"Oh gods, you're a morning person aren't you?" Hiccup mumbled tiredly as he pressed his forehead against Dagur's shoulder, still too exhausted.

"Guilty, but I'll keep it to a minimum for now," Dagur chuckled and kissed the side of Hiccup's head. "I'll let you have a cup of coffee and wake up a bit more before we get down to business."

"Business?" The auburn did not like the sound of that.

"Yes, we have some things to discuss about our relationship."

Hiccup pulled away and allowed the other to face him while they waited for the pair of waffles to finish. "I thought we said everything that needed to be said last night."

Dagur was still smiling, but it had dimmed some as the seriousness melted into his expression; crossing his arms over his chest in a way that exhibited his pecs and biceps better. Hiccup found his gaze falling to them multiple times as the other spoke and by the growing smirk on his lips, Dagur knew what it was doing to the auburn. "Yes, we've said a lot of things last night, but there's still things we need to talk about. And do too. Don't think I didn't notice the sudden change of wanting to give me a blowjob to a hand job."

Hiccup blushed and looked away sheepishly, hoping he hadn't disappointed Dagur last night at the change of action.

"Don't worry about it right now," the redhead said as he steered the other to the table and sat him down, everything set up for two already done. "You have your coffee and waffles and then we'll talk." He grabbed the plate of waffles and placed it in the middle of the table along with a glass jar of warm maple syrup.

A large mug full of steaming coffee was already there with sugar and creamer next to it, a spoon sitting inside the sugar bowl. Hiccup couldn't help but smile and prepared his coffee just the way he liked it, taking a sip before diving into the pile of waffles. The one's on top of the tower we're still pretty warm as he grabbed them and placed them on his plate, buttering them and pouring a small amount of syrup over it. It was fucking delicious with a hint of cinnamon, the fluffiest he's ever had. Dagur joined him once all the batter had been used, grabbing three and drowning them in peanut butter and syrup. Hiccup was on his second, coffee almost gone, and about ready to start on some milk by the time Dagur sat down.

A couple more waffles eaten between them and a glass of milk later, Hiccup set his utensils down and leaned back in his chair, stuffed. "If you keep feeding me like this, I'm definitely going to have to start workout again."

Dagur chuckled as he picked up their dirty dishes and placed them in the sink before sitting back down, looking at Hiccup with that same gaze he gave the auburn last night. It made Hiccup go all gooey inside and smile shyly, grabbing Dagur's hand when he reached over the table for it. But again, Dagur's smile dimmed as the incoming serious conversation loomed over them, though it did not fully disappear. Hiccup's own smile fell and waited in anticipation and nervousness at what the other could possibly want to talk more about.

"Before anything, I should start off with I love you," Dagur began with an honest smile, no underlying *but* coming up. 

This drew a grin from Hiccup and he replied, "I love you too."

"Now then, what are we now?" Dagur let go of the auburn's hand so he could overlap it on his own, leaning forward as he dropped the smile. "We can no longer say we're courting and no longer going on not dates anymore after last night. And before we do any more sexual activities, I want us to get checked out to see if we don't have any diseases. I'm embarrassed to say, it's been awhile since my last check up." He let out a nervous chuckle and shrugged. "Didn't really have a reason to until now. And concerning my past, I should really get that done soon."

Hiccup nodded, face forming into something more serious. "I agree, I'll set up an appointment as soon as I can. And as far as what to call us, I would like to think we're boyfriends now." He paused to see the other's reaction and was not disappointed by Dagur's megawatt smile, making him chuckle. "And like I said last night, I only want you to tell me when you're ready. I don't want you to unless you want to and not because I nagged you into it. While the curiosity is killing me, I can wait. I promise."

Dagur's whole body seemed to relax at his words and let out a thankful sigh, smile softening. "Good. That's good, thank you." Something dark fell over his gaze and Hiccup didn't like the small frown now forming on Dagur's lips. "Hiccup, I'm sorry on how things have come down the last three days and how we've gotten together."

"It's alright," Hiccup quickly interupted, not wanting to go down that road again. The past three days were miserable after he yelled at Dagur and he didn't want to be reminded of it; wanting to move on.

"It's not alright," Dagur mumbled. "While we're both at fault and I've already forgiven you, I'm still a bit hurt on how you treated me Thursday. I know we'll fight again, no relationship is perfect, but I don't want to be kicked out before I get the chance to explain myself. I don't want to go to bed angry or upset like that again."

Hiccup's eyes wetted as Thursday night played out in his head, seeing the unfairness of it now that he had a clear head. He really was a douche that night and he treated the situation terribly. "I know, I'm sorry for how I treated you. I shouldn't have shouted at you and let you speak."

"I forgive you and I feel like I always will, but let's just make a promise that we'll talk to each other if there's a problem and not let it get out of hand, ok? If I'm doing something you don't like, let me know and vice versa."

"Ok." Hiccup nodded in agreement and grabbed Dagur's hand when the redhead reached for his.

"Good, I love you freckles."

"I love you too." Hiccup smiled shyly that soon slowly morphed into a leer as he asked, "But when you say any sexual activities, does that include handjobs?"

Dagur snorted, turning into a belly laugh while a flush creeped up onto his cheeks. "I don't think I could keep my hands off you even if I wanted to." His gaze turned dark with lust and his voice dripped with sex. "But no blow jobs or penetrative sex until we get tested because when we do finally make love, I want nothing between us."

Hiccup gulped before letting out a shaky breath, feeling heat pool inside him. "Was there anything else we need to talk about?"

"Oh there's plenty to talk about, but nothing pressing. Just wanted to get all that out of the way." Dagur relaxed back in his chair with a knowing smirk, but made no move other than to push the chair back and pat a thigh.

Hiccup didn't wait and quickly stood up to straddle Dagur's lap, bending down to press their lips together. The redhead's tongue immediately pushed into Hiccup's mouth, lapping at the auburn's own and coxing it to play. Hiccup moaned shakily as he pressed his tongue against Dagur's, breathing heavily through his nose and gripping the redhead's shoulders. Dagur's hands rested over Hiccup's hips and were slowly sliding up to his chest, spreading the small opening of the bathrobe further until it was hanging off Hiccup's shoulders. The auburn pulled back with a gasp when a thumb rubbed over a nipple and could barely make any coherent thought as ripples of pleasure spread down his chest to his loins. The intense heat and neediness from last night resurfaced and Hiccup ground down into Dagur's lap, wanting more.

Dagur cupped Hiccup's flat chest in his hands, gently massaging them before pinching the hardening nipples and drawing a whine from the auburn. His mouth latched onto Hiccup's neck and nipped where he could reach, growling low in his throat as his movements became aggressive. Hiccup gasped out a yelp at the sudden bite to his neck and the fingers pinching his nipples were sure to leave them red and swollen before the end of the day. It was a delicious feeling that Hiccup didn't know he wanted, no one ever being rough with him for fear of breaking him. He may look fragile, but he was anything but.

"Shit! Sorry," Dagur hissed after pulling away, taking Hiccup's yelp as one of pain. "I don't know what came over me." 

"No, it's ok. It felt good," Hiccup panted, smiling lightly. "Was just surprised is all."

"You sure? I didn't break skin but I still left a pretty good bite mark." Dagur dragged a finger tip over the forming bruise, making goosebumps rise all over the auburn's body.

"Good, I want you to," Hiccup whispered sensually and brought his mouth back to the other's, not wasting time in taking control of it. He must have caught Dagur by surprise by his forcefulness for the redhead gasped and jumped, becoming pudding beneath Hiccup. Dagur's scruffy chin scratched at his and he knew it was probably red by now with how much they had been kissing since last night.

It didn't take long before Dagur retaliated and took the control from Hiccup, wrapping his arms around the auburn's small waist. A loud yowl startled them and they pulled away with a wet smack, staring wide eyed at Toothless who was staring at them with a blank look. His tail swished behind him in irritation. The two humans glanced back at each other, blinking once before bursting into a bout of giggles; holding onto each other.

"I guess I should feed Toothless right quick," Hiccup said as he got off the other's lap, groaning when his robe brushed over his still hard prick. "You better be on the couch when I'm done."

Dagur quirked a smirk and raised a brow in defiance. "And if I don't?"

"Stay there and you'll find out." Hiccup smiled in fake sweetness before upruptly turning away to make his way to the bathroom, the cat following him and chattering the whole way. Food served and water replenished, Hiccup put his robe back in his bedroom and limped back out naked to find Dagur sitting down on the couch, arms wrapped over the back of it; sweatpants missing. The auburn huffed out a small laugh and went to straddle his lap again, but the redhead stopped him.

"Turn around and sit facing away from me," Dagur requested, grin lazy yet excited. "I want to try something."

Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but did what the other wanted and sat down with his back pressed against Dagur's chest. The other then placed his feet on the coffee table and bent his knees, spreading them. This forced Hiccup's own legs, which had been slung over either side of the redhead's thighs, to spread as well, leaving him open and vulnerable. Hiccup didn't know why he blushed now after what they had just been doing minutes before, but he had an inkling to what Dagur wanted to do especially when he noticed the small travel size tube of lotion in Dagur's hand. The redhead must have seen it on the sink beside the dish soap, taking it for what Hiccup hoped he was about to do. But why not ask for lube, unless Dagur didn't get the idea until he saw he lotion. It didn't matter anyways as long as the redhead continued.

"This ok?" Dagur asked as he squirted some lotion onto his hands before dropping it beside them on the couch, a hand moving down to grip Hiccup's cock and the other sitting idly by, waiting.

"Y-yeah, more than ok," Hiccup replied quietly and allowed his head to fall back, resting it against the other's chest. A long drawn out moan slipped through his lips as Dagur began to rub the hand on his cock up and slowly back down in loose strokes. Hiccup's hips jerked though when slippery fingers rubbed gently from his perimium down to his hole, massaging his entrance and asking it to open up for him. "Ffffuck."

"Still ok?" 

Hiccup nodded and reached a hand up to grab the back of Dagur's head, thrusting his hips down onto the fingers wanting to enter him and up into the hand squeezing his prick a little tighter now. His other hand gripped the couch cushion tightly when a thick finger dipped inside him softly, pushing in until it was as far as it could go in this awkward angle. Dagur crooked his finger as he started to slip it back out, looking for the auburn's prostate. Hiccup jumped with a loud gasp when lightening hot pleasure spiked through him, the finger finding its' target. A second finger was quickly added before Hiccup could even beg, the ring of muscles tight around them as they squirmed and pressed against his prostate, not bothering to scissor him open. There would be no point since they weren't planning on going any further than this, at least not until they've been tested.

"Dagur!" Hiccup whined low in his chest, clenching his hands tightly on what they grabbed and dug his head back against the redhead. It felt so long since he last had another's hands on him like this and he felt overly sensitive, already about to come.

Those fingers thrust into him slowly at first, focusing on his prostate until he got used to the small stretch before picking up speed and milking him to the edge. Dagur's lips had attached to the left side of Hiccup's neck and jaw, sometimes his ear, as he began to jerk his hips up into the auburn's lower back, quickening his pace. Hiccup squinted his eyes shut as embarrassing noises left his slack jawed mouth, back bowing, head turning to press against Dagur's, and come spurting onto his stomach and the redhead's hand. Something hot and wet splattered against his lower back and a weak bout of disappointment filled him on not getting his turn to bring Dagur off before it disappeared as he crumbled back against the redhead, both panting heavily. The fingers slipped out of him with a wet sound and Hiccup winced at the slight twinge in his hole, missing the feeling of the other inside him.

"So much for no penetrative sex," Hiccup panted before dessolving into a quiet bout of breathless giggling, feeling the other shake beneath him as Dagur snickered.

"I can't help it, you drive me crazy," Dagur replied against the auburn's neck, wrapping his arms around Hiccup's middle and holding him loosely. "I honestly was just going to use the lotion to jerk you off without making you raw, but then once you were on my lap and splayed out like that, I couldn't help myself."

"Well it felt amazing. You're amazing." Carefully, Hiccup twisted around in Dagur's lap and leaned back against the redhead's knees, grinning lazily at him. "If you were apt to it, I would ask you to carry me to bed, put on a condom, and take me. I do have a few packets left in my nightstand." He smirked when Dagur leaned his head back and groaned at the temptation, feeling the other's prick hardening against his bottom but only half way and no more.

"You're killing me smalls," Dagur grunted and promptly shoved Hiccup off onto the couch, the auburn bouncing on the cushions with a laugh. "Excuse me while I go wash my hands. I still have work and I would like to get home in time to change."

"Can we meet up for lunch?" Hiccup asked as he laid down on the couch, smile never leaving his face and temporarily forgetting about the spent on his back (it was going to be a bitch to clean up later if it dried).

"Pft, do you really have to ask?" Dagur replied, raising his voice to be heard over the rushing water coming from the kitchen sink. He was quick in washing the lotion, come, and ass from his hands and was soon leaning over the back of the couch to stare down at Hiccup, grinning widely. "You know you can come by whenever you want."

"I know, just polite to ask." Hiccup sat up to kiss Dagur on the mouth. He grimaced at the drying come on his stomach and back and stood up, wincing at the pain in his leg. "Should probably take a shower too."

Dagur must have noticed the wince for he was suddenly by the auburn's side with a look of worry, asking, "you ok?" while placing a hand on Hiccup's side.

"As soon as I take my leg off and take a bath, I think I'll live." Hiccup took a careful step with his bad leg and almost crumbled to the floor as pain shot up and down his knee; no longer able to ignore it. If Dagur hadn't been there to catch him, he would have and undoubtedly be subjected to crawling on the floor. 

"If you can get there that is," Dagur mumbled as he picked up the other easily, one arm cradling his back and the other in the crooks of Hiccup's knees, and carried him to the bathroom. The door was open and Dagur set Hiccup down on the toilet while a curious, furry head peeked out from the sink to stare at them.

"You don't have to do this," Hiccup replied as he sat down on the toilet, feeling a little excited at being carried. The auburn knew with Eret that being with a man strong enough to carry him was a kink of his that he would be delighted in telling the redhead when he no longer felt embarrassed about it.

"I want to." Dagur set his hands on Hiccup's prosthetic as he said this and waited for the other's permission before slipping the lightweight fake foot and wrap off the auburn's leg. 

Hiccup hissed in relief as his stump was freed from the confinement and barely had a moment to feel self-conscious about the rest of his bad leg being shown to Dagur before the redhead pressed a gentle kiss to the scarring. Hiccup inhaled sharply at the press of lips and the gentle smile Dagur gave him, feeling his heart beat quickly at the gesture. "I love you..."

The smile widened and brightened. "I love you too."

"How does it look?" 

Dagur held the stump to his face better and eyed it, frowning at what he saw. "Raw and red."

"Probably from wearing it too long, too much friction," Hiccup grumbled as he took his leg from Dagur's hand so he could inspect it himself. It was rubbed raw and blistering from where the prosthetic met his stump, the wrap attached to it damp with sweat. "Haven't taken it off in three days." Hadn't showered for that long as well.

Dagur looked down at that as his face saddened.

"It's not your fault. It was mine." Hiccup placed a hand on Dagur's cheek and gently forced the other to look at him. "I knew better, ok. It's not your fault."

The redhead only nodded and leaned up to kiss the auburn sweetly.

"Can you draw a bath for me and help me get in?" Hiccup asked quietly when Dagur pulled back, a small quirk to his lips.

"Ok." The redhead perked up at this and put the stopper in the tub before letting it fill up. "I would ask to join you, but I gotta get going soon."

"Thor, sorry. I didn't mean to make you late." 

Dagur waved off the comment as if swatting away a mosquito. "You're not and if I was going to end up late, I wouldn't mind it if it meant I got to take care of you. I can if you want."

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the look the other was giving him, the desire to be late shining all over his face, and chuckled. "I think I'll be fine once I'm in the bath."

"But what about after?" Dagur was now doing more than looking for an excuse to stay with the auburn a bit longer, honestly concerned with Hiccup. "I could keep the shop closed today and stay here."

While that sounded nice, Hiccup didn't know if Dagur could afford that yet. "As much as I want to say yes, you should go to work today. I can still get around without my leg and I have spares to wear while my wrap dries after I wash it so I'll be fine."

It looked like the redhead wanted to protest and even opened his mouth to do so, but quickly shut it with a disappointed frown. Probably thinking along the same lines as Hiccup concerning his job, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "What about getting out of the bath?"

"I'll manage. I've done this a hundred times before. My leg may be water proof, but my wrap isn't and its annoying wearing it when it's wet." Hiccup motioned the other to turn off the bath and raised his arms like a child asking to be picked up.

Dagur did so with a chuckle and set the auburn down into the smallish bath, the water raising a little towards the rim. "I could wash it for you while you bathe."

Hiccup gave him a look, one that a parent would give a disobedient child that threatened to crack from a grin he was trying to suppress. "Dagur..."

"Ok, fine I get. I know when I'm not wanted." Dagur huffed in fake exasperation and a heavy roll of his eyes before bending down to kiss the top of Hiccup's head. "Sure you don't want help washing your hair?"

"Dagur!"

"Ok, ok, I'm going! I'll come back here for lunch so you don't have to worry about walking into town." The redhead had waltzed out of the bathroom as he said this only to turn back around and lean his head inside. "Anything you particularly want?"

"Whatever's fine with me as long as I get to see you. Now go before I throw my leg at you." Hiccup giggled while slumping back against the tub, laying his legs down as far as they could go. 

Dagur grouched loudly the whole time he dressed and made his way to the door, Toothless following him, and called out a bye before softly closing the door. No questioning meow followed so Toothless must have ran out the door before Dagur could close it and was most likely going to spend time with the redhead today. Hiccup couldn't blame the feline, the furry creature hadn't seen him in three days and needed his Dagur fix. The auburn still needed his fix as well and felt a bit jealous of Toothless, but he'll take what he can get. Slouching down a bit more with a sigh, Hiccup groaned as the heat relaxed his aching leg and washed away the sweat and grime that had built up over the last three days. A good wash and he'll be squeaky clean, except... Hiccup glanced up at the soap and shampoo that sat on the shelves above him, cursing into the water at what he was about to do. For Thor sake he better not fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sex safe, guys! Wear a condom, diaphragm, or get checked out. As always drop a kudo and leave a comment, show the love. Foest97, thank you for all of yours and support -w-.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are ready for this chapter, got some bottom Dagur this time. Wink wink. Thank you guys for the support, always enjoy it.

It's open!" Hiccup shouted as he typed away on his laptop, private messaging Tuffnut on Facebook. He took a quick glance down at the clock as the door opened and closed to see it was only eleven in the morning, an hour early for Dagur to be here. He was about to reprimand the redhead when another voice spoke up first.

"Holy shit!"

Hiccup snapped his head up to see Snotlout standing in front of the coffee table across from him, the smaller man staring wide eyed and slack jawed at Hiccup. He furrowed his brows in confusion at his cousin's actions, eyes narrowing at the way Snotlout was staring at his bare chest and neck. After his bath and crawling from the tub to his room, Hiccup only slipped on a pair of briefs, not expecting anyone other than Dagur, and left his prosthetic in the bathroom to be delt with later; the wrap still needed washing.

"So I take it everything went well last night," Snotlout commented while beginning to look impressed, gaze never leaving Hiccup's neck. He rolled his eyes and pointed to his neck and chest when Hiccup continued to look at him questioningly.

Hiccup glanced down at his chest and flushed brightly at the sight of his abused nipples, remembering that Dagur had also left a love bite and several hickies. And now he was showing them for all the world to see by wearing nothing but his briefs. How much more embarrassing would this have been if it wasn't Snotlout who knocked on the door; it wasn't like it was his day off. It could have been a client. "Oh fuck."

"I'll say," Snotlout laughed awkwardly that quickly cut off at the withering glare Hiccup gave him.

"Why are you here anyways?" The auburn turned his attention back to his laptop and went back to typing to Tuffnut, raising an eyebrow at the nonsensical rambling the blond had started on without waiting for Hiccup to reply. When in Odin's name did Hiccup mention anything about muggles? What is a muggle for that matter?

"Got kicked out," Snotlout slipped off his shoes and hung his jacket in the closet, "by my own fiance in my parents' house! That's what I get for trying to take care of my lady when she's sick..." He huffed in indignation as he sat down next to Hiccup, watching the auburn's conversation. "The fuck is a muggle?"

Hiccup shrugged his shoulder. "Does Minden have the flue? If she does, I don't want you here and risk giving it to me."

"No, and how the hell would I would be giving it to you if she's the one that's sick?"

"Just because you don't feel sick doesn't mean you can't pass it on." Hiccup rolled his eyes as he tried to move his conversation with Tuffnut to something else, or at least get him to focus on one subject. "You've been around her, probably being an annoying mother hen trying to take care of her and getting her germs all over you."

"Hey! I take great offense to that! You'd be lucky to receive such tender care from me." Snotlout crossed his arms as his brows furrowed in annoyance.

Hiccup snorted, but didn't dignify a response to that. "So why is she sick?"

"Food poisoning..."

Hiccup paused in his typing to raise a brow at the other, eyes full of concern. "You didn't happen to eat at that Odin awful place in the center of Berk, did you?" He grimaced just thinking about it. The restaurant may be fancy looking, well fancy's a strong term for it, but its' food was terrible and the seafood alfredo often times gave you food poisoning. If Snotlout was trying to impress, he chose the wrong place to do it.

"... Yeah, how did you know that? And it isn't that bad."

"It's the only place on the island that can make you sick and yes, some of it's dishes aren't that bad but I'm not about to risk it... again." Hiccup went back to his laptop, only to find that Tuffnut had signed off with a hasty excuse of the blond's sister needing help with something. He sighed and signed off his Facebook account before turning off his computer, setting it on the coffee table. "So your annoying mothering got you kicked out, but why come here?"

"Because there's nothing to do here and all my friends have moved away. And possibly I wanted to check up on you and see how you were doing," Snotlout griped and leaned his side against the armrest, doing his best to not look at his cousin.

Hiccup eyed him for a moment and knew then and there that moving back to Berk wasn't Snotlout's idea at all. The auburn was right in thinking that his cousin would never come back, at least not on his own. The island was too small and boring for someone like Snotlout, the smaller man needing something more fast and exciting. So it really must have been Minden who got him to move back home for whatever reason, the smaller man too in love with her to say no. He smirked slightly as he asked, "Why did you move back if you hate it here so much?"

Snotlout snorted and glared without heat at Hiccup, looking uncomfortable. "I don't hate Berk, I just find this place boring."

"Then why move back? You were so sure of yourself back then that you were never going to step a foot back in Berk and yet here you are. Moving back and close to me no less." Hiccup settled against his own armrest on the other side of the couch and softened his smirk into a grin, showing he wasn't taking offense to anything Snotlout had said or done in the past. The two of them hadn't been on good terms either when the smaller man left. Hiccup couldn't even remember what it was about and had already forgiven him.

"Minden wanted to," Snotlout replied quietly and a little sheepishly at admitting that. "I have told you Minden is adopted and had no other family other than her adopted mother, right?" He continued when Hiccup nodded. "Since she was an only child with no other relatives, blood or adopted, she considers family to be very important and made some family of her own with those she was close to. But once she heard I had family back on Berk, she was very adamant that we move back here if our relationship got more serious. Now here I am, letting myself get talked into moving back home to stick close to my parents that are soon going to be hers too... through marriage."

Hiccup furrowed his brows a bit as he listened, understanding the need to be close to those important to you. But what about the people Minden's close to? "And she's fine leaving the people she considered family in order to be close to yours?"

Snotlout gazed down at his knees with a sad look, frowning. "She said blood was more important than the few friends she had back in Wingser Island. She wanted me to be around my parents as long as possible while I still have them and made sure my relationship with them were good." He ran a hand through his hair, combing it back before the strands fell back into place on either side of his face. "If I had a better reason on why my relationship with mom and dad were rocky and if dad hadn't changed, I wouldn't be here right now talking about this with you."

"She sounds like a smart woman," Hiccup stated with a grin. "Seems to know what she's talking about."

Snotlout returned the grin with a dreamy one of his own, obviously thinking about his woman. "She is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I don't deserve her."

"You're not wrong on both accounts." Hiccup snickered and lifted an arm to protect himself from the smaller man's swinging hand that was trying to smack him. He yelped around a laugh when Snotlout slapped his arm harshly, using his only foot to push the other away. 

"You better watch your mouth if you don't want to get your ass wooped!" Snotlout exclaimed as he settled back in his seat, glaring and arms crossed.

"Puhlease, you haven't been able to beat me even after I lost my foot." Hiccup stuck up his stump for emphasis and didn't allow any room for Snotlout to become uncomfortable with the scarred flesh by adding, "You just suck."

"Them fighting words, Hiccup," the smaller man said lowly, a daring look morphing onto his face. "Better watch yourself."

"Or what?" Hiccup raised a brow, giving a challenging look. "Gonna try and take me down with your short-" He never got to finish his insult as he was tackled over the armrest and onto the floor by a smaller, but heavier, body. 

They landed with an oof, Hiccup's back hitting the floor painfully, but that didn't stop either of them from grappling with each other and rolling around on the floor. Hiccup should have known better than to use his cousin's shortness against him, his size always a sore subject. It must have really gotten to Snotlout as he was not holding back in getting the auburn to submit and call out uncle. But thanks to Hiccup's lankiness and longer limbs, he was able to slip out from Snotlout's hold and restrain him. At least for a little while before Snotlout's better strength got him out each time. It wasn't long, however, before Hiccup finally got his cousin in a headlock, laying on top of the smaller man with one arm pressed against Snotlout's neck and a hand holding onto his opposite arm. The opposite hand was currently resting on top of Snotlout's head as the auburn pressed the rest of his body down on top of his cousin to keep him still.

"Say it! Say uncle!" Hiccup panted, becoming sweaty from the bout of wrestling. He really needed to get back into shape if that already exhausted him.

"Never!" Snotlout shouted, sounding a little strangled.

Hiccup had kept his hold strong, but loose enough to not cut off his cousin's air flow.

And that was the sight Dagur came to as he opened the door to the apartment, several bags in hand. He stood frozen in the doorway, staring at them in slight confusion and looked a bit hesitant at what he should do. The two on the floor stopped their struggling at the sound of the door closing and looked towards the noise, spotting the redhead. Dagur furrowed his brows, but didn't say anything; waiting for an explanation. He obviously wasn't going to get one.

"Help me get this lanky shit off me," Snotlout demanded and continued his struggle, trying to take advantage of Hiccup's distracted state. He was about to be disappointed as the auburn hadn't let up his hold and had doubled his effort in keeping Snotlout in place. "Dagur, help me dammit!"

"That is not how you ask for things," Hiccup tsked. "Besides, you're the one who tackled me to the ground."

"You're the one who called me short!"

"You make it so easy to tease."

It didn't take a genius to see what was going on and how it came about, making Dagur roll his eyes in bemusement and walk past them towards the kitchen. "Grab his index finger, bend it together, and then push it back."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes in confusion before feeling a large hand grab his index on the hand holding Snotlout's head, bending it so the pad of his finger pressed towards his palm and squeezed it shut before bending the bent finger backwards, causing a large amount of pain. He yelped and his hold involuntarily loosened enough for Snotlout to get out and quickly return the favor, clasping his hands together so Hiccup couldn't use the move on him. The auburn let out a choked off gasp when the smaller man held too tightly for a brief second.

"Dagur you traitor!" Hiccup shouted once he could breathe again, though the thick muscle pressing against his windpipe was making it difficult. He grunted in displeasure when there was no returned retort and he couldn't see where the other was currently standing, but he knew Dagur was watching.

"Give up?" Snotlout asked teasingly, letting his weight do the work for him in keeping Hiccup down.

The auburn was about to say no when a quick flex of muscle made him choke and wheeze. "Fine! Fine. Uncle! You win." He immediately took in gulps full of air when he was let go and turned onto his back.

Snotlout jumped to his feet with a victorious shout. "Ha! Finally, your streak is broken!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and sat up, searching with his hands for his glasses that had been knocked off his head during the struggle. "I have other moves I can use to pin you down." He rolled onto his hands and knees and began moving slowly along the floor, cursing his terrible eyesight.

"What are you doing?" Snotlout asked, ignoring Hiccup's mumbled retort. 

"My glasses, can't find them."

The smaller man took a step forward to help the other when an audible crunch filled the apartment. Both, possibly even Dagur as well, winced at the sound and Hiccup snapped his head towards the blurry figure of his cousin. Snotlout raised his foot and grimaced at the sight of a pair of broken glasses beneath it. Dagur came out from the small kitchen to inspect the noise and frowned at the stillness between the two men in the living room, following their gazes.

"Was that-?" Hiccup started, but couldn't finish.

"Yup," Snotlout replied guiltily.

"..."

"...sorry. I'll buy you a new pair."

"No, don't worry about it. Just... go get my contacts from the bathroom. There should be a box of them in the first drawer on the left." Hiccup sat back on his hunches before settling on his bum, crossing his legs as he let out a frustrated sigh and listened to the other's disappearing footsteps.

"You ok?"

Hiccup almost jumped in surprise, having forgotten that Dagur was there for a moment. He turned towards the voice, but only saw a blurry outline of the other and a shock of red. "Yeah, just broken glasses. I'm gonna have to get some new ones when we go to Vanahiem."

"We?" The stunned, but eager, reply made Hiccup smile.

"Yes 'we'. You thought I was going to cancel the trip after our fight? Granted, I was going to go by myself since I still need parts, but now that things have been fixed... *we* will be going to Vanahiem together." He didn't need his sight to know Dagur was smiling at him.

"Here," Snotlout suddenly said beside him and grabbed one of his hands to place a pair of unopened contact lenses into the auburn's hand.

"Thanks, but I'm still going to need help opening them," Hiccup grumbled as he held them back out to Snotlout. 

The smaller man let out a sound of annoyance and growled as he struggled to open the tiny things before holding them out once more. Instead of taking it, Hiccup used his finger to dip into one of the small plastic cases and pull out a lense, being very careful about putting it in his eye. With half of his eyesight now restored, he took the case from Snotlout and did the same for his other eye. Able to see properly once more, Hiccup stood up, balancing on one leg, and beckoned Dagur over with a lovely smile. The redhead returned it and made his way over to Hiccup, picking him up into his arms to carry him to the table.

Hiccup yelped at the sudden action and wrapped his arms around Dagur's shoulders as he was carried, feeling his cheeks flush in desire. Yup, definitely a kink. He could literally feel the eye roll Snotlout was giving them behind their backs. Dagur used a foot to drag a chair out and set Hiccup down in it before leaning down and giving him a quick kiss, both ignoring the gagging sound coming from the Snotlout. 

"I brought take out," Dagur said as he pulled away, heading towards the plastic bag on the kitchen counter. "I would have made lunch, but I didn't want to lessen our time together."

Hiccup smiled gratefully. "I don't mind."

"OhmyThor. I'm gonna leave before limpy does more than make googly eyes," Snotlout griped as he made his way back to the door, grabbing his jacket. 

"Send Minden our love," Hiccup replied with a giggle. His face softened, however, when he saw the worried look Snotlout tried to hide at the mention of his fiance.

"I will, sure she'll enjoy it. Bye nerd." Snotlout took his leave, startling when Toothless ran inside as soon as the door opened. The cat must have just arrived since neither of them heard any meowing beforehand.

Hiccup gave a quick wave that was just a quick jerk of fingers to the side, watching Toothless settle down on the back of the couch. Snotlout shut the door behind him and the apartment fell into silence for a few short moments until Dagur settled a plate of red beans and rice with sausage in front of him, a side of salad, and a glass of juice.

"Thank you," Hiccup said quietly and kissed Dagur on the cheek before the redhead moved away to get his own food. "I haven't had this in a long time. I thought they stopped serving this."

"You're welcome my dear," Dagur replied happily, having leaned into the kiss. "It was today's special and figured something simple might be nice for lunch." He sat down across from Hiccup and dug in, enjoying his food. "I think Tina's Cafe got a new cook because their food has been tasting better since last week."

Hiccup nodded in agreement, mouth full. After swallowing, he said, "I got myself an appointment tomorrow to get some blood drawn and get everything checked out." A flush crept up and down his face for the reason behind it, but Dagur didn't seem to take notice of it.

"That's good. I was actually able to get an appointment for this afternoon, so I'll be closing the shop early today." There was a slight nervousness to his voice as soon as the word appointment slipped his mouth and Hiccup briefly had a moment to wonder why that was before the redhead continued. "You doing alright? Got out of the bath fine on your own?"

When Hiccup detected no teasing in the other's tone, he smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, I'm doing fine. I got out of the bath just fine too, though getting around without my leg has been challenging." His calf and ankle were still burning from hopping around everywhere and that alone made him realize just how much of his strength he had lost in his leg since he stopped properly exercising after his breakup with Eret. "I need to start working out again," he mumbled the last part to himself.

"Maybe we can go to the gym together some time," Dagur suggested as he scooped up the last bit of rice from his plate.

"Huh." Hiccup watched the redhead finish his food with a small frown.

"What?" Dagur paused to take a drink after swallowing his food, raising a quizitive brow.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask if you could help me." He wouldn't say or show that he was slightly disappointed that Dagur hadn't, placing a small smirk on his mouth to show he didn't mean anything by it.

Dagur shrugged as he finished his drink, polite enough to cover his mouth when he burped. "I only know workout routines that work for my body and what needs to be done for me. I don't fully know what kind of exercises you would need for your body and I don't want to be the one who ends up hurting you by giving you the wrong ones. I'm no personal trainer and I have no proper training on how to help someone else in that area."

Hiccup's brows rose to his forehead at the explanation, not having thought of that before, and was mildly impressed on how Dagur readily pushed aside his pride in order to be truthful with the auburn. "That makes sense. Maybe I can call Bjorn and have him set me up with a trainer again. My old one moved away a while back for a better job position."

Dagur grinned excitedly, possibly at the prospect of being able to see Hiccup doing certain workout days. "Maybe we can do some yoga together too."

"Pfft, I'll be falling all over the place and being too much of a distraction." The auburn grinned humorously into his cup as he took a drink.

"You're probably right in the distraction part. I'm already imagining you in certain poses," Dagur retorted sensually, voice going low as a smirk broke over his mouth.

Hiccup coughed into his cup as his cock twitched in interest, spitting the juice from his mouth back into his cup to keep from choking. He gave a few weak coughs around a giggle and tried to picture a few yoga stances as well, replacing himself with Dagur. The imagery was delicious and the thought of Dagur down in a baby cobra pose with Hiccup over him made the auburn's prick become fully erect. If the redhead was willing to bottom some time in the future, Hiccup would feel like he died and went to heaven at his luck. He pawed at his erection and closed his eyes as he groaned, really wishing that Dagur was into that sort of thing.

"What are you thinking?" Dagur asked huskily, the table creaking as he leaned over it and placed his chin in his hand.

Hiccup was embarrassed to say, but when he opened his eyes and saw the intense heat within the redhead's gaze, he couldn't help but reply, "You in cobra pose with me... on top of you." Fucking you was left unsaid, but Dagur heard it nonetheless.

Dagur closed his eyes, most likely imagining it too, and moaned deep in his throat; a dark flush creeping along his cheeks. When he opened his eyes once more, they were glazed over and dilated. "Do want to do that to me?" Interest was evident in his question.

He's dead. He must be if Dagur was actually wanting that as well. It had been so long since Hiccup last topped anyone and the thought of bringing someone like Dagur to such a state of vulnerability had him nodding jerkily as his breathing picked up. "Yes. So, so much. As soon as the test results are in and we're both clean, I want to come inside you."

Dagur hissed out a pleasant curse and stood up shakily from his chair, eyes half lidded and pants bulging in the front. "Maybe you can show me what you want. Return the favor of what I did to you this morning. Possibly give me a few hickies as well, make my nipples red." He stared pointedly at the other's chest.

Hiccup let out a deep breath and nodded quickly, using the table to help himself up to his foot before he was picked up once more and carried to the bedroom. He was placed gently onto the bed and Hiccup stayed seated on the edge of it after shucking off his boxers while Dagur undressed hastily. The redhead didn't hesitate to lay down on the bed once he was finished and spread his thighs apart, beckoning the auburn to him. Hiccup crawled on his hands and knees until he could nestle between Dagur's legs and lowered himself on top of the redhead, their pricks pressing against each other. The need to kiss Dagur was great and he leaned down to do just that as his hips jerked forward against the other's. This intense sense of want and need was probably the most Hiccup ever felt for someone in the past year and it was driving him wild, taking control for once in a long while.

Hiccup wanted to do more with his mouth, to make a trail of kisses down Dagur's body to his cock and restraining himself from doing so was more than difficult to say the least. Instead, he kept his mouth pressed against Dagur's and licked his way inside, showing his own kissing skill. The redhead gasped wantonly and stuck his tongue out when ordered to, moaning when Hiccup sucked on it before twirling his own tongue around it. Large hands gripped Hiccup's ass tightly and kneaded them, pushing the auburn into him harshly as Dagur jerked his hips up to meet his. Hiccup's tongue dove back into his mouth and Dagur greedily took what the auburn had to offer. It was only for a short moment, however, before Hiccup was pulling back and moving away from Dagur, making him whine at the loss. 

Hiccup said nothing as he reached into his nightstand for the lube and wet wipes he kept hidden in there, unsure on what to say. Seeing Dagur like... this, acting like such a wonton bottom was mind blowing and amazing. He didn't want to ruin it by accidently saying something stupid. He smiled lovingly down at Dagur as he kneeled between the redhead's legs once more, which were shaking in anticipation, and popped the lid of the lube up with a thumb. He poured a generous amount on the fingers of his left hand before leaning down onto his right elbow over Dagur, wanting to stare down into the other's eyes at a closer distance. His lubed hand reached down past Dagur's cock and balls, pressing against his premium and sliding down to his entrance.

Dagur groaned deeply and lowly when those fingers touched his ring of muscles, resting his feet on the bed and spreading his knees further to give Hiccup a better advantage. A dip of the tip of Hiccup's middle finger into his hole had Dagur shivering in pleasure before the auburn pulled it out and massaged it, willing the redhead to open up a bit more. Hiccup could see the other was becoming slightly impatient at how slow he was taking this and slowly inserted his middle into the redhead. Dagur gasped at the breach and closed his eyes to better enjoy the feel of being penetrated while one hand reached for Hiccup's ass again and the other gripped the covers below him.

Hiccup cursed below his breath at the pleasant tightness and heat wrapped around his finger, biting his lip as he stared down at Dagur. The redhead was a sight to behold, something Hiccup never thought he would ever see and was glad he got to share this moment with him. He took his time as he slowly moved his finger within Dagur, dragging the tip of it along the outer edge of the redhead's prostate and driving him crazy. He hummed his pleasure and smiled when Dagur opened lust filled eyes, mouth slack, and face red down to his chest. A simple jab to his prostate and Dagur was tossing his head back, letting out a long drawn out moan and slamming his eyes shut. 

Hiccup pressed against it mercilessly for a moment, enjoying the way it made Dagur's voice become an octave or two higher and had him clamping his thighs close around the auburn's hips. The hand on his rump gripped him bruisingly and the other reached down to grip his own prick. Hiccup pulled out his finger, making Dagur whine deeply, to grab the redhead's hand and pull it away; not wanting Dagur to come too soon. When Dagur reopened his eyes to glare unheatedly at Hiccup, the auburn returned the look with a warning one of his own; not needing words to tell Dagur what he wanted. But he said it anyways just to see Dagur squirm.

"I want you coming only by my hand, yes?" 

Dagur nodded and moved his hand up to grip the pillow beneath his head. "Odin's name, Hiccup. You're so hot when you take control."

The auburn huffed out a small laugh and reapplied his hand with lube, shoving two fingers inside this time. It surprised Dagur at the suddenness and he choked off a gasp, turning his head into his arm to press his mouth against it. Hiccup picked up his pace once he knew he hadn't hurt the other, getting impatient himself. He thrust his fingers into the redhead harshly, the palm of his hand brushing against Dagur's sack each time he pressed inside, and let his fingers drag over the redhead's prostate with each intrusion. 

"Oh, fuck, Hiccup yes!" Dagur groaned loudly after tearing his mouth away from his arm to look up towards Hiccup, pupils blown and spit dribbling down the corner of his mouth. He was... mouthy to say the least. "Can you touch me? I'm about to come."

Hiccup leaned back onto his knees and used his free hand to grab Dagur's leaking cock, jerking it quickly. The body beneath him stilled with a whine after a few strokes, the redhead's face scrunching up as he came over his stomach and Hiccup's hand. The auburn stroked Dagur through his orgasm, stilling his fingers inside the other so as to not overstimulate him, and allowed Dagur to calm down before gently pulling his fingers out when Dagur relaxed, panting. The redhead still had his eyes shut as he caught his breath, but there was a lazy smile on his face as he enjoyed the aftermath of his climax; legs falling open.

Hiccup grabbed a few wet wipes and cleaned his hands and Dagur's stomach, the redhead's belly sinking back from the cold rags as goosebumps spread across his skin. "You're amazing," the auburn whispered as he cleaned them up, shaking his head lightly. He was dead and in heaven, or Valhalla, or somewhere magnificent because there's no way this was real. That Dagur was real and he was this lucky to have him.

Dagur opened his eyes and smiled, raising a hand to run it through thick auburn locks damp with sweat before settling it behind Hiccup's head to pull him down into a kiss. "You're not half bad yourself. Quite the magic fingers you got," he replied against the other's lips.

Hiccup huffed out a small laugh as he tossed the wipes onto the floor and sat up to move and sit beside Dagur. "And you are surprisingly thin haired down here. I didn't want to say anything earlier, but I can't help but ask."

Dagur groaned and closed his eyes in embarrassment for a moment, pouting. "I lost to a bet back when I was a young teen and had to do this experimental, chemical hair removal thing at a friend's parent's spa. Let's just say my body hair never grew back the same again."

"Well that explains the sparse upper body hair too... Sounds embarrassing," Hiccup snickered, only imagining the kind of mortifying experience Dagur went through. And here he thought the redhead shaved or waxed his body.

"Oh gods it fucking was. My asshole burned for days. I thought I was gonna have to poop into a bag attached to my stomach for the rest of my life!"

The auburn doubled over in laughter, using a hand to hold himself up.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me or I won't help you get off!" Dagur snarked, glaring but it held no real heat or threat.

"Ok ok, I'm sorry," Hiccup giggled, trying to calm himself down. As fun as it was to laugh at Dagur's misfortune, as mean as that sounded, he was still very hard and getting a case of blue balls. He cleared his throat and straightened his face, trying to be serious, but he began snickering as soon as he looked at Dagur.

The redhead broke into a snicker as well, slapping Hiccup's thigh lightly with the back of his hand. "Shut it."

"Sorry, sorry." Hiccup leaned down to give Dagur a quick peck on the lips that ended up lingering before becoming a full blown kiss, tongues and all.

"Here, let me..." Dagur pushed Hiccup back so he could turn onto his stomach and push himself up onto his elbows into baby cobra, thighs closed; looking over his shoulder.

Hiccup's eyebrows rose high as he was given the lovely view of Dagur's rump, so nice and plush and hairless. All laughter and giggles were gone now at the sight and precum dribbled from his prick. "Fuck... I thought no penile penetration."

"That still stands, but it doesn't mean you can't rut against and between my cheeks." Dagur winked over his shoulder.

Hiccup cursed beneath his breath as he straddled Dagur's thighs and grabbed the lube, smearing a large amount over his cock. He then grabbed the redhead's buttcheeks and spread them apart, groaning at the sight of Dagur's still wet hole. With a shaky breath of excitement, Hiccup slipped his prick in between Dagur's cheeks and let go so he could hold himself up as he leaned over the redhead. Hiccup panted out a moan as he began to thrust his hips against Dagur's, the redhead flexing the muscles in his ass to squeeze around Hiccup. Dagur gave small little sighs and other sounds as Hiccup used him, at one point leaning sideways to kiss one of Hiccup's arms before nipping at it.

"Dagur, you're ass... it's amazing," the auburn mumbled as he drew close to his climax, closing his eyes and imaging that he was actually thrusting into his love and not rubbing against him.

"I don't take pilates for nothing," Dagur replied proudly, making Hiccup pant out a small laugh. "You gonna come soon? I want you to, want you to come all over my back."

Dagur's whispered want sent shivers down Hiccup's spine and he sped up his hips, skin slapping against skin. A few more quick thrusts and the auburn was coming, moving his hips shallowly as he chased his orgasm and his spent spurted over Dagur's lower back and between his cheeks. Hiccup let out a tired groan as he collapsed on top of Dagur, panting, and rested his chin on the other's shoulder. Dagur leaned the side of his head against Hiccup's and hummed in content, not asking for the other to move while the auburn came down from his high.

"I gotta get back to work," Dagur mumbled after a few moments, jutting his hips up to get Hiccup to move. "Need to get a few more hours in before my appointment."

Hiccup groaned in disappointment, sliding off of Dagur to lay beside him, his stomach now covered in come. "Do you want to come over afterwards, watch a movie, possibly stay the night again?"

"Sounds like an excellent idea," Dagur agreed wholeheartedly with a bright smile as he grabbed a few more wipes and cleaned himself and then Hiccup off. "I'll bring Mystery Science Theater 3000."

"Not the newer ones, right?" Hiccup had to ask, not finding the newest episodes as funny as the older ones.

"Gods no." Dagur stood up and got himself redressed. "I'll cook dinner. Anything you want?" He bent down to grab his wallet and phone that fell from his pants' pockets and slid them back into place.

"Anything's fine with me." Hiccup turned onto his side and grinned up at him, planning on having a nap as soon as the other left.

Dagur leaned down to give Hiccup a quick kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Dagur beamed at him before leaving in a hurry, stopping in the bathroom for whatever reason, and accidentally slammed the front door closed in his haste. A small beat of silence was all Hiccup got before there was a quizitive meow from the bedroom doorway. The auburn glanced down to see Toothless sitting there with a look that said 'you done yet?', making Hiccup giggle. He patted his bed and the feline jumped up onto it to join him.

... He forgot to give Dagur a few good hickies. Thor.

He also forgot to clean his prosthetic wrap.... Double Thor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That wrestling move with the finger really does work. I was able to get out of my hubby's (who's so much stronger than me) hold and get away.
> 
> I love Mystery Science Theater 3000!
> 
> As always, leave a comment or kudo, show the love.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support, it really motivates me to keep on writing! Sorry for all the fluff and shit,, couldn't help myself. Hope you all enjoy!

"-that's not technically how I remember it going down and you know it!" Dagur griped from across the room, making an amused smile form across Hiccup's face from where he sat at the table soldering a new circuit for a client. "You're just being dramatic because you know I'm FaceTiming you with my boyfriend in the same room. Stop making shit up!"

"I didn't know you were with your boyfriend!" A female voice squealed through the speaker excitedly. "I have yet to see what he looks like!"

Dagur made a few disorderly sounds as if trying to contain his annoyance before speaking. "What do you mean you haven't seen what he looks like?! He's plastered all over my Facebook page!" And he failed.

"I don't have time to go stalking my brother's page," the women snarked back and Hiccup could literally hear the metaphorical, standoffish hair flip. "Having a government job is quite taxing."

"Pft, whatever," Dagur didn't bother hiding his disbelief.

"Children please, an adult is working here and your sibling rivalry is quite loud," Hiccup interrupted without looking up, making himself sound very posh and gentleman like. "Do talk a bit more quietly please."

"Oh my gods, is that him? He sounds like a stuffy asshole," Dagur's sister staged whispered, Hiccup still able to hear her. The auburn giggled while Dagur called out 'Heather!' in frustration. "What?! Just turn the phone and let me see him!"

"Fine you annoying hag."

Hiccup heard the other shuffle around on the couch and didn't bother to look up to say hello, but he did almost burn his fingers as he jerked in surprise at the sudden loud shriek that came from Dagur's phone. There was a soft thud and a curse, the woman's voice becoming muffled for a moment. Dagur must have been startled as well and dropped his phone.

"Oh my Odin! He's adorable!"

Hiccup's shoulders shook as he held back a laugh while trying to keep from smiling. He was still busy fiddling with the computer's guts, wires and hardware strewn about the table, too preoccupied to even glance over towards his boyfriend. This particular client was... Impatient, but he paid well and on time so who was Hiccup to judge. Course, the auburn would have preferred spending tonight with his boyfriend rather than doing last minute fixes. It was getting late, they had an early day tomorrow, and Hiccup wanted to get off with Dagur at some point before they went to bed. They could always have some sexual fun before they left for Vanahiem tomorrow, but Hiccup was not willing to get up earlier than they already had to just for a quick jerk off. And he was not lowering himself into sex somewhere public; he had standards.

"Yes yes, he's lovely," Dagur grumbled, but he sounded sincere.

"Well come over asshole and let me meet my future brother-in-law!"

Dagur groaned in embarrassment while Hiccup laughed out loud, setting his tools down; he could use a quick break. The auburn stood up and moved to stand behind the couch to lean over Dagur's shoulder to greet the redhead's sister properly. He almost did a double take at the familiar black haired woman staring back at him. It had been years, almost a decade, since he last saw her, but her hair and eyes were hard to forget. She, too, seemed to remember him as her eyebrows rose up and her mouth went slack.

"Wait Hiccup Haddock is your boyfriend!" she shouted at the same time Hiccup exclaimed, "Heather's your sister!" 

Hiccup felt so stupid for not realizing it sooner. Dagur had said he had a sister who used to come to the summer camps here when they were still doing them and her name was Heather. How could he not put the two together? Honestly, he had no reason to as there were several Heathers who used to go to Berk's summer camps, but none of them had black hair like Dagur's sister. It was actually hard to see the resemblance between the two other than their green eyes, though those were different from each other too.

"You guys know each other?" Dagur asked skeptically as he looked from his sister to Hiccup.

"Yeah," Heather replied cheerfully, smile breaking across her face. "We went to summer camp together! It's been so long I barely recognized you without your bell shaped hair and thick brown vest." Her grin turned teasing when Hiccup grimaced at the remembrance of his horrible bear skinned vest his grandmother made for him a long time ago. 

"I'm surprised you remembered my name," Hiccup scoffed, mentally kicking himself at the barb that Heather didn't deserve.

But she took it in stride and her smirk grew, humor still evident. "To tell the truth, I always forgot your name when I went back home and called you bellhead whenever I talked about you to my parents and Dagur. I'm surprised I remembered it now, but it just popped up as soon as I saw your face."

A connection went off in Dagur's head as understanding morphed over his expression, looking a little less surprised than Hiccup thought he would. "Ah... you two weren't really friends then?"

Heather shook her head regretfully as her grin fell. "Sadly no. We hung out in different circles and never quite got to know each other."

"Well we can now," Hiccup piped up with a nonchalant shrug. "I mean I am dating your brother and you're very important to him..."

Heather smiled brightly, one similar to Dagur's that Hiccup has become very accustomed to seeing, and oh can he see the resemblance now. He didn't need to be told that they were siblings, Hiccup could tell by the way they bickered with each other and teased without real meaning to it. It was what the brother and sister had been doing the last half hour since she called while catching each other up on their lives, Hiccup momentarily forgotten. The sibling relationship was easy to spot thanks to being around Tuffnut and Ruffnut most of his teenage years, the twins always seeming to bicker. But the blond headed twins also cared for each by the way they spoke and acted, especially when the other was in trouble or hurting. Hiccup knew without a doubt that if something were to happen to Heather, no place on earth would be safe from Dagur's wrath.

"Isn't he the best?" Dagur murmured against Hiccup's temple after kissing it. In the small screen towards the right corner, the auburn could see and feel the other was smiling lovingly.

"Absolutely," Heather replied with a kind smile of her own, sounding certain. "Well I better go, it's getting late and I have a very busy day tomorrow. But I won't be seated at a desk all day so I guess that's a plus."

"What do you do anyway?" Dagur asked.

"I work for the government," she replied simply, not bothering to go into detail as her smile became more polite. Fake.

"Doing what exactly?" Dagur sounded genuinely interested with no suspicious tone in his voice, but Hiccup watched as she suddenly closed herself off completely at the question.

"That's classified." Her smile was gone and replaced with a guarded look. It was almost like staring at a brick wall.

Dagur narrowed his eyes at his sister's sudden change, eyebrows furrowing in confusion and concern. He didn't take the hint to leave it alone and pressed on. "So you like a spy or something? Which would be pretty awesome if you ask me..." He added the last part hurriedly as an afterthought, probably hoping to lighten up the mood.

Despite the suspicious eyebrow raise, it seemed to work, if only a little, as Heather relaxed minutely and a corner of her mouth twitched up into a humorous smirk. "No, but even if I was I wouldn't tell you. What I can tell you is that my job is very important and time consuming."

"Ok," Dagur replied, accepting the answer. Hiccup could tell it was killing the redhead not knowing the details of what his sister did, especially if it made her act like that after a simple question. He left it alone, however, and did his best to smile. "I'll talk to you later."

"Until then," she allowed a smile to fully form as she turned her gaze to Hiccup. "Make sure he treats you right, yes?"

"Hey! Shouldn't you be saying that to me, you're my sister!"

"As if I'd stick around if he bullied me," Hiccup replied with a small grin, both he and Heather ignoring Dagur's exclamation.

"Good. Have a good night you two and stay out of trouble." Heather blew them a kiss and ended the call, the screen going blank.

The two men sat there a moment, unsure of what to say on what just happened. Seeing Heather so closed off, so blank even if it was only for a minute, was unsettling. Hiccup may not know the woman hardly at all, but he remembered back during summer camp when he was still forced to go that she was very kind and always smiled. She was an open book even from afar and seeing her cut off from emotion was... not on. It must be more upsetting for Dagur since Heather's his sister and knows everything about her, well... used to know everything. This one little secret of hers must be driving him crazy especially from how she reacted.

"That was... odd," Dagur finally commented quietly as his phone shut off, letting it drop onto his lap. His face was scrunched up into one of confusion and hurt, suspicion a mere thought in the background. 

"Very weird," Hiccup agreed without much thought, waiting for the other to look at him. He frowned in concern when Dagur didn't so much as glance towards him, keeping his gaze down at his phone. Hiccup then tried to joke, "Maybe she is a spy."

Dagur did look at him this time, but he didn't look amused nor annoyed, just... concerned. "I'm worried."

"As you have every right to be; it's your brotherly job." Hiccup leaned jumped over the back of the couch to sit next to Dagur and lean into the redhead's side. Dagur rested his head on his shoulder, Hiccup resting his on Dagur's.

"I've never seen her look so cold before. I've asked her about her job several times before, but this is the first time she's made herself look completely blank. It doesn't look right on her." Dagur sighed deeply and completely sagged against Hiccup, body sliding down until his head settled on Hiccup's lap and stomach. He flipped onto his side facing Hiccup and wrapped his arms around the auburn's middle, curling his legs against the back of the couch while shoving his face into Hiccup's belly, making him snicker at the ticklish feeling. "What if she really is a spy?"

"Then she's the coolest sister ever," Hiccup replied easily, running his fingers through red hair.

Dagur's body shook as he laughed, turning his face just enough to glance up at Hiccup. "I guess so. But that also means she puts herself in dangerous situations."

"Maybe not, maybe she's a recruiter." Hiccup shrugged. "Maybe she's behind a desk all day because she's looking for special candidates to join some secret spy group."

Dagur's face morphed into one of humored confusion, chuckling. "How the hell do you come up with this shit?"

"I have an active imagination." Hiccup was quite proud of that, his mind often keeping him from dying of boredom back when he was kid. Though now it often sent him into mild panic attacks from overthinking.

"I'm starting to notice... thanks."

Hiccup raised a brow. "For what?"

"For making me feel better." Dagur pressed his face back into the auburn's stomach and sighed, hot breath seeping through Hiccup's shirt and causing goosebumps to surface.

Hiccup wasn't really trying, but was glad he helped in some way. He smiled gently and leaned down to kiss his boyfriend's cheek. "You staying tonight?" He felt stupid for asking, the redhead having stayed at the his place since their make up.

"Course, it's pretty late and I was looking forward to ravishing you before bed." Dagur glanced up with mischief in his eyes, his lips set in a smirk before pressing his face down into Hiccup's lap to kiss his prick through his sweats.

Hiccup gasped in surprise as he thrust his hips up, fingers gripping Dagur's hair. "Fuck... you're a very bad man Dagur."

"You love it," the redhead retorted before pulling away, moving to stand on his feet.

"I certainly do." Hiccup allowed himself to be pulled up onto his feet as well and quickly grabbed Dagur's hand to drag him to the bedroom. "Did your test results come in yet?" He prayed to Odin they had, wanting nothing more to have the other's cock in his mouth.

"No," Dagur said in slight disappointment, but his eagerness for Hiccup overlapped it and it hadn't killed the mood. His hands reaching for the auburn and undressing him prooved that much. "You?"

Hiccup shook his head as he helped Dagur out of his shirt before opening and unzipping his pants. "They said they'll have the results either by Friday or Monday. Considering it's ten at night on a Friday, I don't think I'll be hearing from them until Monday."

Dagur groaned in annoyance with a hint of desperation, pulling Hiccup to him once his pants were kicked off. Hiccup completely understood and felt the same, wanting Dagur inside of him just as he wanted to be inside of him. He almost said fuck it several times now and grabbed a condom, but the thought of their first time being connected in that way without a condom separating them held him back. While Hiccup was very careful about his health, he loved going bareback; the heat, glide, and pulse inside him was amazing. The thought of it had him coming like a hormonal teenage many times this past week whenever he and Dagur brought each other off, which was a lot.

"Can you finger me then?" Dagur panted out as he kissed along Hiccup's neck, the desperation seeping into his voice.

"Get on you stomach," Hiccup commanded in a heated whisper as his prick leaked a drop of precome.

Dagur moved away to lay face down on the bed, resting his head in his arms. Hiccup bit his lip in excitement and moved to lay down on top of him, all thoughts of needing to finish his client's computer gone.

...

Saturday morning came too soon it felt, the night filled with heavy breathing and moaning and not enough sleep. Hiccup was thankful that Dagur was the one driving them to the docks, letting him rest a few more minutes. With Toothless fed and many toys left out for the cat to entertain himself with while his humans were out, the two men left Hiccup's apartment, grabbed a few cups of coffee and tea high in energy, and parked at the docks. As promised, the auburn paid for their ferry tickets and the two boarded a fairly small boat that could only carry twenty people. Ten minutes after they found a seat on a bench outside at the back of the ferry, the boat left the dock and they were headed towards the outer reaches of the archipelago where a few larger islands resided.

The ride would take less than three hours and the two men filled it with mindless chatter or comfortable silence, hands holding or arms wrapped around the other. It stilled made Hiccup giddy at finally being able to do this now, the short amount of time they've known each other felt like forever. At one point, Dagur stood up to lean against the railing and watch as they passed by a large group of sea otters, babies among them. Hiccup smiled at Dagur the whole time the redhead cooed and awwed at the water critters, Dagur wishing that they were a little closer so he could take a better picture of them on his phone, but he let himself be satisfied at just being able to see them.

When they reached Vanahiem, it was the middle of breakfast rush and the two were starving, having skipped since they were in a hurry that morning. Hiccup paid for their bus passes, much to Dagur's disapproval, and took a transit to the center of the city where Hiccup knew quite a few good spots to eat that were close to a few vintage shops and where he needed to pick up his parts. He allowed Dagur the satisfaction of paying for their food and ate his plate of French toast with gusto, sometimes taking a seasoned potato wedge from Dagur's ultimate scrambled eggs. The redhead pretended to be annoyed every time Hiccup swiped up a potato, but the auburn knew the other didn't really mind.

Since they had a whole day to themselves, Dagur suggested they wait to buy anything so they wouldn't have to carry it around all day and worry about losing it. Hiccup agreed and the two took the bus to the park, wandering around the trails and finding themselves on the beach. They strode along the small strip of available beach hand in hand before sitting down on a large piece of drift wood, pressed up against each other's sides. Dagur took out his phone to take a few pictures of the view around them, the landscape and ocean beautiful. He then surprised Hiccup by pulling him into a closed mouth kiss while wrapping an arm around his waist. Hiccup made a pleasured sound, muffled by the press of lips, and closed his eyes, tilting his chin slightly to slot their mouths better together. He felt a hand cup his cheek as a tongue slipped out to brush against his bottom lip, making Hiccup open his mouth and allow Dagur's tongue to slip inside.

A cheerful screech of a child reminded them of where they were before they could turn their kiss into a rated R make out, startling them away from each other's lips. They pulled back just enough to press their foreheads together and snicker at their actions, wondering when the teenage hormonal honeymoon faze of their relationship will stop. Hiccup's hoping never as he liked feeling this way with Dagur and didn't want to think about the undoubted future fights. Even the best of relationships have them, there's no escaping them; he's seen (heard more often than not) plenty of them with his parents and they went together like biscuits and gravy. But he knew that when the time came, he would have to be willing to fix things and be the bigger man even when it wasn't his fault. Same with Dagur, Hiccup knew the redhead would do just that. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. It frightened him a little to see how much he trusted Dagur, knowing trust can be broken easily and painfully.

"You're incredible," Dagur murmured, bringing Hiccup away from his thoughts.

"No I'm not," Hiccup replied with a huff, smiling lovingly. He sat back so he could better look at the other, blushing at the endearing grin Dagur was giving him.

"But you are." Dagur grabbed Hiccup's hands with his and did not look away as he spoke. "You're so much more than you think. So beautiful, smart, amazing, funny, imaginative, lovely inside and out. I love you so much."

Hiccup smiled shyly and looked down at their intertwined hands. "I love you too. We haven't known each other long, but Thor does it feel like it's been years."

"I know what you mean. These feelings I have for you are so intense it makes me feel like my heart might pound right out of my chest. I always want to touch you and kiss you, make you mine in any way imaginable." Dagur lifted one of Hiccup's hands and kissed the sharp edge of knuckles.

Hiccup shuddered as he closed his eyes, imagining what Dagur could possibly mean by that. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that the redhead's eyes were full of heat, lips still pressed against the auburn's hand. "Care to take me to a hotel and show me how you want to make me yours?"

Pupils dilated in Dagur's gaze and Hiccup felt his breath become shaky as Dagur replied, "there isn't enough time to show you what I want to do and I don't want to make love to you in a bed that isn't ours. But if we leave early today, I'll give you a preview as soon as we're home." He winked and Hiccup almost swooned. Dagur suddenly pulled away and stood up, making the auburn almost drop forward onto his face.

Hiccup caught himself by grabbing Dagur's pant leg before he could eat sand and glared up at the other. He didn't have the chance to question him as he was suddenly pulled up to his feet as well with an arm wrapping around his waist, Dagur pressing his lips to his ear.

"So we better do our shopping quickly if you want that preview. It's gonna be long," the redhead whispered deeply, sensually, the way that always made Hiccup weak in the knees.

Hiccup didn't say anything as Dagur lead him back up the trails and back to the center of the city, barely keeping his hands away from the auburn for more than a second. Being able to sit along side Dagur, hold his hand, and lean his head on the redhead's shoulder was more than what Hiccup could ever hope for. Dagur was gentle and only guiding as they walked or rode next to each other, showing love rather than possessiveness like Eret used to do whenever they went out together. The more he spent time with Dagur, the more Hiccup realized that Eret wasn't as good a boyfriend as Hiccup used to believe. Eret was kind, yes, but not in the way Dagur was with him; like the auburn hung the stars and the moon.

Once they reached the computer store, Hiccup bought the parts he needed that would last him the next three to four months and the two completely forgot about shopping for any upcoming birthdays or holidays; their minds filled with what they would do when they returned home. But after being dropped off by the docks ten minutes before one of the ferries left for Berk, they were left in disappointment. The only ferry going in and out of Berk was down, the engine failing during one of its' rides back to Hooligan Island and currently being tugged back to get fixed. 

The ferry wouldn't be ready for a few days and no other boat was available to give them a lift home unless they were willing to pay extra. Hiccup was not as he looked at one of the captains of some dainty fishing boat happy to help them home. The crooked smile the man gave them sent shivers down his spine and not in a good way, glad that Dagur was the one to turn him down with a polite grin. Hiccup wasn't so sure he would have kept a straight face long enough to say a single word.

"Gonna have to take a raincheck on that preview," Dagur said grumpily as the two walked away from the docks and back to the bus stop closest to them, not letting go of Hiccup's hand.

Hiccup rolled his eyes fondly as he pulled out his phone, looking for Gobber's number. "We can still have a little bit of fun," he murmured as he tapped on his uncle's number and brought the phone to his ear. "You could fuck me between the thighs and I could-Hey Gobber, it's Hiccup!" The auburn felt mortified at what he almost said on the phone when his adopted uncle answered, blushing brilliantly.

Dagur smirked in amusement as he listened to the awkward transaction between Hiccup and the man on the other side of the line, the auburn's voice shaky from embarrassment.

"Hello Hiccup! What can I do for ya today? Last I heard ye went to Vanahiem," the man replied jovially, the sound of the ocean filtering in through the background.

"We did and were about to return, but the only ferry in and out of Berk broke and won't be fixed for two days. So I was wondering if you could, maybe out of the goodness in you heart, pick us up tonight or tomorrow uncle Gobber?" Hiccup pleaded, trying to make himself sound younger than he was in hopes to persuade the other. It had worked wonders for him when he *was* younger, his uncle always a sucker for it. "If it's not too much trouble?"

Dagur raised a brow at the change in his voice and slowly looked at him as if meeting him for the first time.

"... I know what yer doin' Hiccup, and it's not nice," Gobber reproached, Hiccup imagining a finger pointing at him warningly.

"Sorry," the auburn mumbled with a wince, sitting down on a bench underneath a metal covered bus stop. "Will you please help me and Dagur? I really don't want to be here for two days."

"I suppose so. But ye'll owe me a favor and I expect ye to fulfill it when the time comes." The man let out a noisy groan, probably standing up from his stool in the shop, and the noise was suddenly muffled as Gobber yelled something to someone. It was a moment before the man spoke again. "It's gonna have to wait until tomorrow, Eret's tunin' the old girl right now and I want it done right if we're goin' all the way out to Vanahiem."

Hiccup's face scrunched up in distaste at his ex's name, forgetting Eret worked for Gobber. It was how they met two years ago, Eret was working on a boat for Gobber and Hiccup was dropping off a birthday gift he had made for his uncle. His uncle hadn't been there at the time and the two younger men hit it off, talking until Gobber came back. That night was full of fun, the one night stand that turned into a relationship. One that Hiccup was regretting the more he thought back on Eret's actions back when they were dating. Luckily, Eret only worked on boats and never rode them, saving Hiccup from a painful and awkward ride home tomorrow.

"Ok. Thank you," the auburn replied sincerely after a moment that felt too long.

"I'll see ya tomorrow Hiccup. I'll let ye know when we're close."

"Ok, bye." The dial tone seemed louder than normal when his uncle hung up and Hiccup sighed softly as he placed his phone back in his coat pocket. "Gobber's going to pick us up sometime tomorrow."

Dagur looked relieved at not having to spend more than one night in Vanahiem, nodding as he checked his phone for the time. It was just after three in the afternoon and the face the redhead was giving him made Hiccup blush. "So... know any good hotels?"

...

The unanticipated over night stay at Vanahiem ended up being an amazing turn of events. They spent the afternoon in a hotel room, touching and exploring the other unhurriedly as if for the first time before lazying about in their room, enjoying the afterglow of their none penetrative coupling on the floor. Dagur never did say anything about that. Being with Dagur was easy, exciting, and yet terrifying all at the same time with how quick their affections grew for each other. A niggling feeling in the back of Hiccup's brain would sometimes surface and nudge at him that this wasn't going to last, that this wasn't real, that this fast pace they set themselves on would soon slow down and the excitement would end. The need or want to be with each other would lessen. It was reasons like these that Hiccup sometimes wished he didn't have an active imagination and lived in the moment rather than constantly worrying about the future.

A month may seem like such a short amount of time before telling someone you love them and not in a friendship way, but it certainly felt like a whole year passed before Hiccup uttered those words. He was scared for only a moment that he might get rejected once he told Dagur that, but upon hearing those words returned to him, Hiccup felt like he could fly. Now, he was scared the words would lose meaning the longer they were together and the two of them would no longer feel the same; just saying the words because they were used to it. Hiccup knew better, knew Dagur wasn't like that, knew he would never say it unless he meant it. But, again, his mind would betray him and question 'what if's at him. They hadn't even been properly together for a week now and his mind was already against him.

It usually happened whenever he was alone or when he and Dagur were quietly watching a movie that wouldn't hold Hiccup's interest. The auburn's mind would wander and get out of hand before he could stop it. As it is now as they lay there, naked, on the king sized bed, watching TV to pass the time. Nothing good seemed to be on to distract him and he found his mind wandering down a road he didn't want it to, but it wasn't listening to him. Hiccup knew this type of thinking wasn't healthy, but he always had a hard time stopping it. Sometimes he was able to wrangle it back to something positive, while at other times (which is most of the time) he laid awake at night in a panic or having a hard time breathing during the day. It was one of those latter times it seemed as his breathing became shaky and his body stiffened.

Dagur shifted beside him until he was on his side and up on an elbow, staring down at him in concern. "What's wrong? What is your brain telling you now?" These were questions that Dagur had started to ask a lot this past week, having been spending much more time with each other and becoming easier to spot.

"Same old shit," Hiccup sighed, turning onto his side as well. He kept his gaze low and stared at the other's clavicle, shoulders, and pecs; becoming fed up with his brain and the scenarios it came up with. Hiccup knew he was trying to come up with excuses on why he and Dagur shouldn't be together before things got too serious, afraid on getting too attached and getting his heart broken again. He didn't have to elaborate to Dagur on what was going on inside his brain right now, the redhead having seen and heard about it plenty.

"You do have a right to be scared, to feel this way," Dagur started as he ran his fingers through Hiccup's hair, twirling a longer strand from time to time. "You just can't let it run your life and hold you back because of what may or may not happen. And if you ever need to talk about what your feeling, I'm right here to listen to you if that's all you need. But I can't guarantee I'll say what you want to hear and I also can't guarantee if I'll be able to give good advice. Odin knows I'm a bit of a basket case."

Hiccup cracked a small grin and moved his stare up to Dagur's eyes. "Can't say I disagree on that. Not that that's a bad thing, but thank you. I'm sorry my brain won't leave me alone."

"Nothing to be sorry about it, I just wish you saw how amazing you are. And if you ever need to get professional help, I won't judge. Hell, I've seen a therapist myself not too long ago and there's nothing wrong with that. Just don't go thinking you need to do this on your own." Dagur ran his hand down from auburn hair to his shoulder, sliding down to settle on a boney hip. 

"I know on all accounts and I can see the desire to talk to some stranger who's job is to listen and give advice for a living, but it's also embarrassing. Talking to someone you don't know about your problems. Could probably use some though..." Hiccup sighed once more, this time more heavily as he felt himself relax. Talking with Dagur always had a calming effect on him, his voice soothing and playful and sending pleasant shivers down his spine.

Dagur huffed out a small laugh as he leaned down to kiss Hiccup's forehead, lingering more than was necessary before giving it a random lick that had Hiccup yelping in disgust and rolling onto his back to get away.

"What was that for?!" Hiccup exclaimed with a laugh as he used the comforter to clean off his forehead. Funny how people were fine exchanging saliva while kissing yet find it disgusting when licked outside of sexual scenarios. Must be different while in the moment.

"You looked like you could use some lightening up," Dagur replied as he snickered before diving for Hiccup with his tongue out, trying to hold the auburn down so he could lather the other with his tongue.

Hiccup broke into laughter as he tried his best to hold the other back, not wanting Dagur's tongue anywhere near him unless it was in his mouth or on his dick, one of them they couldn't do yet. He placed his hands over Dagur's shoulder to push him away and was failing miserably, causing him to turn his head away, but it placed his ear in direct contact with Dagur's tongue. Hiccup gasped when Dagur licked the outer shell of his ear and stilled in embarrassment as his prick twitched in interest. Dagur pulled back with a predatory smirk and wide eyes, his own cock hardening. When Dagur returned to his licking, Hiccup did not fight him and even groaned in delight as the redhead lapped at him like some tasty treat.

It must really be different due to the mood.

...

One quick wank later, Hiccup and Dagur dressed and left their room to walk down the street a few blocks to get something to eat at a lounge that Hiccup usually visited whenever he went to Vanahiem. The place was surprisingly empty other than a few old timers drowning their sorrows or playing a round of pool, a reason why Hiccup liked coming here other than the great food. The place was like a hole in a wall that Hiccup stumbled on years ago when he first came to Vanahiem to pick up parts and couldn't believe his luck when he found it. It was a brick building, a little worn down but not disgustingly so, adding character to the place. There were several black and white photos of once famous people of the archapealago and the glass looked like they could could use a quick wipe down.

The bartenders of any shift always kept the place swept and tables cleaned without leaving the smell of soiled rags or moldy dust. It was typically quiet, even on the weekends, with only a few bouts of laughter or yelling here and there. The bartender was usually someone much older, often the owner of the place, making the older generation who visited feel more welcomed. Tonight the owner, Carl, was on shift and he was smiling at Hiccup as soon as he entered the lounge, sitting behind the bar and folding rags. Hiccup lead Dagur to the bar and the two sat down on a pair of fancy wooden stools that had back rests attached to them in front of Carl, the auburn returning the smile with a polite one of his own.

"You're a month early, Hiccup," Carl said in a way of greeting with a slight tremor in his voice due to old age, the smile never leaving his wrinkly face.

Hiccup's smile became more genuine as he found it amusing of how the older man remembered the auburn's supposed visits yet forgot whether or not he locked the door to his house. "My boyfriend needed an excuse to not attend to a certain person's party and this was the first thing that came up," he retorted, feeling Dagur's cheerful stare on the side of his head. A large hand rested on his knee beneath the lip of the bar and gave it a squeeze.

"I see, that was kind of you," the older man didn't even look fazed by the tidbit of information Hiccup never once shared with him. "Should have taken him across town to that restaurant with the terrace for a proper date." He gave Hiccup what was supposed to be a disapproving glare, but it looked more endearing; like a grandfather giving a grandson a reprimand and failing.

Hiccup shrugged a shoulder with a pinched expression, shaking his head at the thought of ever going to that place again. "And suffer through snooty laughter and passive aggressive attitudes? No thanks. Besides their food is bland."

Carl chuckled and nodded as he paused in his folding. "What would you like tonight then, son?" He slid the pile of unfolded rags down the bar away from them and placed folded hands in front of him.

"What's the special tonight?" 

"Steak chilli with a side of mozzarella bread."

Dagur hummed in delight, stomach gurgling in agreement as his smile grew wide. "I'll have that please."

"Make it two with whatever is on tap," Hiccup said, adding a quick please after a beat of silence, knowing how much Carl was a stickler for manners.

"Coming right up." Carl made poured them their drinks before making his way towards a swinging door where the kitchen resided, leaving the front of the lounge empty of any workers. It didn't matter as no one made a move to try to steal anything, acting as if the man never left.

"So," Dagur started as he tilted his upper body towards Hiccup, his grin lessening to something more small yet it held more emotion than the larger one had. He looked amused and grateful at the light conversation the auburn and the owner had and moved his hand from Hiccup's knee to the auburn's own. "There a story behind this meeting?"

"Eh, not really," Hiccup curled his fingers around Dagur's as he turned his gaze towards him. "Just a chance meeting that happened during my first visit here and the guy grew on me each time I came back. I've been to other places since then, but I quite like the atmosphere here and his food is amazing."

"I can see why." Dagur looked about the place, spying the other three patrons (once four) before glancing back at Hiccup with a pointed, knowing look.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at it, but mentally agreed with whatever the other was thinking. If Dagur was thinking that Hiccup chose this spot all the time because of its' quiet, almost always empty, atmosphere, then yes, Hiccup will agree. It wouldn't be too far off a guess as Dagur knows Hiccup's distaste at being around loud, crowded places. Here, the establishment was mostly quiet with soothing music playing in the background, the people who visited seemed to know that being rambunctious was frowned upon, and the food was a pleasant experience in and of itself. And Carl was a delight to be around with his vast knowledge of movies and interesting stories of the past, best not forget that bit.

"He seems like a character," Dagur murmured with a grin, bringing Hiccup's attention back to him.

"Yup, he reallys is. Several characters, actually. Used to be an actor back in the day," Hiccup retorted.

Dagur raised an interested brow. "Really now? What movies did he play in?"

"Let's see..." Hiccup rubbed a finger over his chin in thought, glancing down at the bar. "He played in several mafia movies that I can't remember the names of... A comedy called Better Luck-"

"Wait wait wait wait!" Dagur cut him off as recognition crossed his face, eyes widening in shock and hands waving in front of him before grabbing Hiccup's shoulders as excitement filled him. "Are you telling me that the owner of this restaurant is none other than Carl Brooks?"

Hiccup was a bit stunned at being grabbed suddenly, but only for a second as he grinned endearingly at his boyfriend. Of course Dagur knew the old black and white movie Better Luck and who exactly played in it as the redhead was a fanatic when it came to old movies, forcing Hiccup to watch some of them a few times. They had yet to watch Better Luck together and nor was it ever mentioned between them so the topic of Hiccup knowing Carl Brooks was never brought up. And Hiccup usually only thought of Carl when it was time to make a trip to Vanahiem, but he had been so distracted today by Dagur that he forgot to mention the actor. It went to show how close the two, the auburn and the actor, really were, which obviously was hardly. Hiccup hated to admit it despite some of the things Carl had done for him in the past. Such as making sure he didn't use any packaged meat that had nitrates once Hiccup asked about it during his first visit.

"Yup," Hiccup smirked at the astonishment that Dagur couldn't quite get rid of off his face. "I'm surprised you figured it out as soon as I mentioned Better Luck."

"There's only one actor still alive from that movie today and that's Carl Brooks," Dagur stated confidently, face flushed in excitement. "I just can't believe I didn't know he was the owner of this place."

"That's the point and reason why I quit acting, to not be remembered and live the rest of my time on earth in peace," said owner replied as he came back out with two platters of bowls of chilli and mozzarella bread, grin still in place. He set them in front of them before wiping his hands on his pants and sat back down on his stool. "Been gossiping about me, hm?" He didn't look upset or annoyed by that, but he did look rather pleased at the recognition Dagur was giving.

"I'm such a huge fan Mr. Brooks. Huge, huge fan!" Dagur exclaimed in utter glee that he was almost vibrating in his seat. "I absolutely loved you in Better Luck."

Now it was Carl's turn to be stunned and embarrassed at the praise, not expecting the intensity of it. "That's quite flattering even though Better Luck isn't that popular, even back in my day."

"Which is a crime, because that movie was absolutely amazing and hilarious. The jokes were spot on."

Hiccup bit his lip to hide his grin, but the affectionate look he was giving the other was a little harder to do. Seeing Dagur like this, fangirling over one of his favorite actors of all time, was amusing to watch and he would deny if anyone asked him if he took Dagur here just so he could hopefully meet said favorite actor. The redhead had become very animated as he spoke to Carl, learning a few things from the older man on what it was like to act back in the day before CGI came about. Dagur would have forgotten his food with how focused he was on the older man if Carl hadn't stopped a few times to encourage him to eat. Hiccup watched from the side lines as he ate his food and drank his beer, happy to just sit back and gaze upon them in amusement.

Carl appeared to be enjoying the attention, beaming at Dagur and gladly answering any questions the other had for him. At some point, Dagur asked for an autograph and Carl gladly gave it, writing it down on a scrap of paper that Dagur tucked away in his wallet. Despite the ex actor's wish on being forgotten about *being* an actor, Hiccup could tell the older man quit missed being fawned over some times. While Carl was a wonder in the movies, the man didn't quite enjoy it as much as he liked people to believe and only did it because he was good at it and needed money. Carl was only an actor for such a short time, playing in a handful of movies and plays before dropping off the face of the earth to do what he truly wanted to do; open a restaurant. It wasn't because either of his parents or family members were chefs themselves, he just wanted to do something different. Something he truly enjoyed and cooking did that for him.

...

An hour or two later, Hiccup wasn't paying attention to the time, with bellies full and plenty of beer and lagur in their system, the two men were starting to consider on heading back to the hotel. But Dagur was having too much fun talking to Carl that the thought of leaving would soon be forgotten, happened three times already, and the ex actor seemed reluctant on letting them go. It must have been quite a while since Carl last talked like this with someone that he wasn't quite ready for them to leave, still wanting company for a bit more. Hiccup was fine with it as long as Carl kept giving them free cake that *needed* to go before they went bad. Hiccup rolled his eyes mentally at the obvious lie. But, in fact, everything was going perfectly well.

Until it wasn't.

The door to the front of the lounge burst open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang, and two men came staggering through, hanging off of each other as if they had already drank themselves stupid for a while now. The larger man was grinning smugly and with confidence like a king checking out what he owned and not in a pleasant way. The other man, smaller but stalky, looked ready to pass out as soon as he sat down, eyes blinking unevenly and without focus. Something turned in Hiccup's gut that said they needed to get out of there, but he wasn't about to leave Carl alone to handle these two men.

"You're entertainment has arrived!" the taller man all but shouted in a joking manner that wasn't at all funny.

Carl looked them over with a critical eye, humor gone, but did not move or tell them to leave. His own manners keeping him from kicking them to the curb. Dagur's own cheerful attitude fell as soon as the door opened, causing him to turn towards them to see who it was. As soon those emerald eyes landed on them, something akin to fear filled them as his body stiffened and quickly turned away from the men, keeping his head down. Hiccup didn't get the chance to wonder about the questioning behavior of his boyfriend as the two men had drunkenly waltzed their way to the bar, a bit too close for comfort by the auburn.

"What can I get you two boys?" Carl asked calmly, polite smile in place as he stood up from his chair to stand directly across from them. "Food? Tea? Water? Juice-"

"The most expensive beer you got. We're celebrating tonight!" Tall man interrupted loudly as he settled his friend on a stool. The smaller man was quick to lay his head on the counter with a groan.

"But you seem so sloshed already, I can't possibly serve you anymore alcohol in good conscience." 

The taller man frowned angrily.

"If you wish to kill yourself by alcohol consumption, please move on to somewhere else." Carl moved to step away from the newcomers when tall man reached over the bar with one hand and grabbed Carl by the labels of his button up, dragging him close to his face.

"I will not have some old crippled man tell me what I can and can't have," tall man hissed. "I said get me the most expensive bottle of whatever shit you have here and serve it to me. Or do I need to get physical?"

Carl was surprisingly calm in spite of the possibility of getting hurt and Hiccup could no longer stand by and watch the older man get bullied. He feared Carl would say something else to anger the man and quicky stood up to put a hand on the tall man's shoulder. The bully turned angry eyes towards him and glared at Hiccup venomously.

"Ease off man, there's no sense in hurting someone in front of witnesses who could very well call the police at any time and report you," Hiccup reasoned, feeling Dagur's fearful gaze at his back.

Tall man's jaw clenched a second or two as he looked over his shoulder at the now five patrons who looked like they would do more than call the police, three of them looking like professional bodybuilders. Tall man glanced back at Hiccup, narrowed his eyes briefly, before finally letting Carl, who fixed his shirt calmly, go. Tall man fully turned towards the auburn, towering over him, and eyed him curiously before a dark grin spread across his face, giving Hiccup goosebumps.

"Can't have that, can we? Thank you for the warning," Tall man said lively, but there was something else hidden in his tone that Hiccup didn't like. "We'll tuck our tails between our legs this time. C'mon you shithead, let's get going." He turned to his friend and toed his shin harshly, forcefully waking the smaller man up with a startled groan. "But let's hope I don't spot you alone during our stay here, hm? You might not like it."

Hiccup felt Dagur suddenly by his side with a hand on his shoulder, moving him a step back in a protective manner.

"Oohoo, is your big bad boyfriend going to protect you?" Tall man cooed maliciously before cackling. "That makes things more fun!"

"I think you should go now," Dagur said, no, demanded quietly, his face hidden from Hiccup's view, but the auburn knew the thunderous look he was giving the tall man.

Tall man opened his mouth to retort, but quickly snapped it shut as his eyes widened in shock, leaning forward to give Dagur a closer inspection. Something swam across tall man's eyes and Hiccup really did not like the look he was giving the redhead.

"Well what do we have here, Dagur the Deranged," tall man whispered in fake awe as his stance relaxed, but Hiccup knew it was a facade. "Last I saw you, you were wagging your tail while sitting at your master's feet. And last I heard, you and the rest of the gang along with the Grimborn brothers were taken into custody. How did you get out I wonder?"

Hiccup watched the exchange as horror filled him at the mention of the Grimborns, many questions he hoped Dagur didn't have the answers to whirling around in his head. The thought of Dagur being a part of something like that was terrifying to think about and he really hoped that these two men got the wrong guy. By the stiffness in the redhead's shoulders and the clenching and unclenching of fists, Hiccup already knew his hopes were going to be let down.

"They didn't have enough evidence on me. And now this conversation is over. Leave, now," Dagur all but growled.

All this did was make the tall man grin wider and meaner, looking between the couple and making Hiccup pale at the way his eyes would linger on him a little too long. "Oh Dagur, Dagur, Dagur, how the mighty have fallen," tall man tsked. "You used to be so great, I actually looked up to you. But then you became Viggo's pet and you began to slack off, taking credit for something you didn't do."

Something must have shown on Dagur's face, because the man began laughing darkly as he tiptoed closer towards the redhead like one would towards a scared animal.

"Ooooh yes, I noticed. A great deal, as did everyone else. But we were too scared to say anything thanks to Viggo taking such a liking to you." Tall man was now bare inches away from Dagur and staring down at him with such malicious intensity that Hiccup thought the stranger would lash out at any given moment. "And poor little lamb," he then turned his gaze back to Hiccup, smirking much like a predator, "probably has no idea who you really are. Isn't that just delicious, makes me all tingly just knowing that I spilled the beans."

"Last warning, get the fuck out," Dagur hissed furiously, fear tucked away inside the tone.

The man huffed with a patient smirk, leaning back as he turned his eyes back to Dagur. It was obvious he was satisfied with what just happened and took a step back towards his friend, lifting his hands up in surrender. "Yes, yes, alright, we're leaving. But fair warning, if I ever see you and your little lamb again, I won't hesitate to... well," he looked around the room as if remembering there were others, "you know. See you around, or not. Hopefully not for your sake. Come shithead, we're leaving."

Shithead stood up on wobbly feet and followed after tall man, bumping into a few chairs before the tall man rolled his eyes with a scoff and threw one of shithead's arms over his shoulders, all but dragging the smaller man out.

You could cut the tension in the lounge with a knife with how thick it was as it seemed like everyone held their breath while staring at Dagur, wondering what he was going to do now. Hiccup could see the wariness and distrust in their eyes now and he knew it was time to go. He pressed his fingers against Dagur's forearm, unable to keep his own wariness and anger from his own face, and jerked his head towards the door. Hiccup reached for his wallet, but Dagur stopped him by a gentle hand on his wrist and grabbed his own wallet, pulling out several twenties from it and placing it on the counter.

"Sorry for the trouble, have a good night," Dagur mumbled, unable to look at Carl's eyes, before making his way out. 

Hiccup was close behind, fuming at how Dagur could keep something like this from him. He knew he said he wouldn't nag and would wait until the other was ready to tell him about his past, but this? This was serious. Dangerously serious. Like angry gang members coming after them and killing them for whatever reason serious. Dagur did say that Hiccup wouldn't be in danger, but after what just happened, he wasn't so keen to believe the redhead anymore. His trust for Dagur was waning and he feared what would happen if he lost it completely, how would he feel towards Dagur if it did happen. Hiccup chanced a glance at Dagur, who was walking hurriedly in front of him, and could feel the other's dread, the fear coming from Dagur in waves and Hiccup knew he had to keep his head about this; yelling wasn't going to do them any good.

They walked in silence as they made their way back to the hotel, neither of them reaching for the other's hand, and Hiccup could feel his breath start to pick up as his anxiety began to build. His heart was pounding quickly by the time they reached their room and it took several tries before Dagur was able to slip the key card into the slot above the door knob, hands shaking badly. He did hold the door open for Hiccup, but would not look at the auburn as he passed and Hiccup felt like he got punched in the gut by the action. Shame was written across Dagur's face and Hiccup had to take a few calming breaths before he could speak.

As he did so, Dagur closed the door and stepped forward until he was barely a yard away from Hiccup, still not looking at him as one hand fidgeted against his pant leg while the other was tucked roughly into a pocket. Hiccup let out a deep and controlled sigh as he sunk onto the bed.

"Re-remember when I said I wouldn't nag or pressure you into telling me about your past?" Hiccup asked calmly, almost sounding defeated, as he stared down at his knees while hunching over. He didn't wait to see if Dagur would answer him and continued, snapping his gaze up to the redhead. "I take back what I said. You need to tell me everything. Now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gasp! A cliffhanger! Dun dun duuun! Sorry, but as promised you'll be learning a bit more about Dagur's past in the next chapter. Please drop a kudo or leave a comment, show the love. See you all next time!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the chapter of Dagur's sordid past. Hope you have been enjoying yourselves and continue to read. Thanks for the support!

To say Hiccup hated to go back on his word, whether or not he knew he made one, was an understatement. If he made a promise, how very little of them he made, he would go out of his way to fulfill it. Due to the sickening feeling he got whenever he couldn't, he hardly ever made one unless he knew it was doable. If at all there was any uncertainty he would speak the truth and just say he would do the best he could, for a client, for a friend, or for his family. Like trust, promises were fragile things as well, at least in Hiccup's thinking, and could easily be broken. So having to tell Dagur he took back what he said made his stomach curl, but he swallowed back the urge to puke in order to keep his focus on the other.

Several expressions passed over Dagur's face as he finally snapped his eyes towards Hiccup; fear, disappointment, shame, anger, sadness, reluctance, and finally defeat. His shoulders sagged as he let out a breath he had been holding since Hiccup started speaking and moved to sit down at the desk chair, moving it out so he could face the auburn. Dagur leaned forward and planted his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his face with his hands, looking as if he was trying to gather the courage to speak to Hiccup. The auburn waited patiently, well, almost patiently, for Dagur to speak and let his hands rest over his lap.

"I," Dagur started, stumbling and clearing his throat before beginning again. "You're not going to like what you hear."

"Let me be the judge of that," Hiccup held back a wince at how bland his voice sounded, not wanting to worry or make Dagur uncomfortable more than he already was despite his anger towards the redhead. "Continue. From the beginning."

Dagur nodded and looked down at his lap, clearly upset with how things were going but didn't comment on it. "I wasn't a very good child growing up. I was angry all the time at mom's death and dad remarrying, at a lot of little things that kept adding up until it spilt over. As I became a teen, I became more rebellious. Started doing cocaine for a bit and smoking, but soon quit after a few bad side trips. Smoking was a lot harder to stop, though, than cocaine, but I finally did after a few tries. I got into fights, beat up a lot of people who didn't deserve it and stile... a lot. Bless my stepmom for not giving up on me. Anyways, during that time I... joined a gang." Dagur paused and sat up, biting his lip in hesitation as he glanced up towards Hiccup. A small nod from the auburn encouraged him to go on with little reluctance. 

"At the time I thought it was just a small wannabe gang looking to make some trouble for the locals, but I realized a little too late that they were just a small branch to something much bigger, much more dangerous. With everything I knew, all the secrets that have been shared with me no matter how mundane they were, it was enough to warrant my death if I ever chose to leave. And not just me, but my family as well. It was the only reason why I stayed, doing as little as possible so as to not be seen and be forgotten."

Terror filled Hiccup at the aspect of what the rest of this story would entail and what that meant for their future. Hiccup knew that the Grimborn brothers were gone, one dying (supposed drowning after getting shot and falling into the water) in a raid to arrest them and the other murdered in prison; the rest of their members imprisoned or killed during shoot outs. It had been all over the news for months, springing up every so often when another person affiliated with the Grimborns were captured. But there was no mention of Dagur anywhere even though it came to light earlier tonight that he was more than some lowly gang member. How that had changed was something Hiccup wasn't looking forward to, considering that from what he had heard the only way to move up depended on how ruthless you were. 

"One day, me and one other person were tasked with looking for a rat in our group," Dagur ran a hand through his hair, grinding to a halt as he seemed to consider his next choice of words. "We were ordered to kill them once we did and I was the one told to do it once we figured out who it was. I knew that if I didn't, I would be seen as weak and killed myself. But not everything went as planned. We found the guy, it wasn't hard, but when it came time for me to execute him... I couldn't do it."

A weight from his shoulders fell at that proclamation and Hiccup knew he could believe Dagur, but that didn't mean the redhead hadn't done something else. Hiccup listened intently and did not move from his spot, keeping his face carefully expressionless despite the many conflicting emotions running through him.

"Gary, the guy I was with, ended up being shot by the rat due to my hesitation and bled out, but not before firing off a shot of his own and killing the guy first. I lied to the rest of the gang and said I was the one who killed the rat after the guy got the jump on us and shot Gary. Everyone believed me at the time and I moved up the ranks. After that, I started doing exactly what Z, the guy at the bar, had said, doing as little as possible and taking credit that wasn't mine. I couldn't go back to the way things were, tell the leaders no when I was commanded to do something. That was a one way ticket to the morgue in a body bag alongside my family.

"Eventually, I caught the Grimborns' eyes and I was moved from that small branch to their's. The younger brother, Ryker, was the one to deliver orders and keep an eye on things while Viggo did most of his commanding and business matters behind closed doors. I was with them for a while, mostly used as a guard or lookout and hardly doing anything. During a large drug exchange we were raided by the police and the FBI." Dagur took a moment to catch his breath, having barely breathed since he started and it was beginning to disrupt his speech. "We were in a warehouse owned by the Grimborns when the place was suddenly flooded by them.

"I ran away and hid behind a pile of crates when bullets began flying everywhere. I was... scared. That if I moved, I would be shot too and not be able to see my family again. I stayed there until the shooting stopped and I was found by one of the agents and taken into custody. The brothers had gotten away and left the rest of us to die, making my decision on what to do next very clear. As soon as they started the investigation, I told them everything. Why I stayed, how some things really happened, and what my position in the gang was. It was then I started working for the FBI as a mole, gathering enough information to bring the brothers and all the other gang branches down. It... this was how I met Throk. He was one of my handlers for three years."

Hiccup's eyes widened as everything set into place, started making sense. The reason why Dagur's relationship had to be kept hidden and not just from the Grimborns, but also from the FBI. The stress that must have caused them must have been tremendous and tiring, no wonder they decided to break it off. They must have really liked each other to stay together for so long and it must have torn them apart when they broke up. Hiccup now fully understood the hesitance Dagur gave when the auburn admitted that he was ready to move forward. Now he really felt like an ass for his reaction when Dagur first rejected him.

"Yeah..." Dagur said, noticing Hiccup's reaction. "He was gruff, rude, only smiling when threats were made when we first met. It was hard to get along with him and we always fought, sometimes even tumbling around getting bloodied. If it wasn't for Mala, his boss, we probably would have killed each other." A small, gentle smile played on his lips as he fell into a small pit of memories, eyes glazing over for a moment. "We sparred a lot to get our frustrations out with each other and during those times we started to learn about one another. I found out that Throk did have a soft side and had a large main coon that he loved so much and wanted children some day. I found myself falling for him and soon learned he was for me too.

"It wasn't until after one of our spars, that we learned that about each other. We were alone, it was night, and the gym was dark save for a few lights as we wrestled. It seemed more intense that night, but not in an angry way, and then Throk had me pinned down, sitting on top of me. Next thing I know, we're kissing madly and ripping each other's clothes off." Dagur blushed and scratched a cheek absentmindedly as his smile grew shy. "We fucked right there on the mats where anyone could see us and gods did he have such a..." He trailed off at the raised eyebrow Hiccup was giving him and the redhead cleared his throat. "Right, not important."

Hiccup couldn't say the thought of Dagur being held down and taken didn't turn him on. He could envision the redhead on all fours and taken from behind from this Throk, though faceless due to the fact Hiccup had no idea what he looked like, and messing up the mats with his spent. He thinned his lips and blinked a few times to hide his arousal, not really needing to as Dagur had glanced away in embarrassment. Then a twinge of jealousy tried to take over and Hiccup was forced to remind himself that he and Dagur were together now, in love.

"Anyways, after I agreed to become their mole and was let go, Viggo sent for me. He wanted a private meeting and I was scared he found out about my betrayal. He did, but instead of killing me on the spot or sending me off to be tortured, he decided to help me. I don't know how he found out, but he agreed to help because he lost two of his oldest sons due to gang related problems. The oldest was killed in a gun fight between Viggo's gang and a rivalry while the second overdosed, drugs sold by Viggo's gang. You could say he had a change of heart since their deaths, but wasn't sure how to leak any information out without getting caught. We made a deal that if anything went wrong, if we were found out, I would be the scapegoat as long as my family was kept safe. That's all I ever really wanted.

"If it wasn't for Ryker, his brother, we could have gotten enough evidence in weeks, but the guy was paranoid as shit and was constantly destroying evidence no matter how small it was. It made things more difficult as we had to make copies of everything before Ryker could get his hands on it, but that wasn't always the case without getting caught. And getting Ryker on tape, or recording, was nearly impossible, even if it was Viggo who was doing the recording. But after three years and one damning video of Ryker and several other upper gang members, we finally had enough to get everyone in jail for a long time.

"But we needed all the gang members in one place so no one could have the chance to get away. The FBI and I planned for weeks on what to do before Viggo came up with something himself to which I reported to my handlers. Viggo had a large shipment coming in that he was planning on selling to a very rich buyer and needed all his members for security. The exchange was a lie and he would make his get away during the confusion. But not everything went as planned. A few members didn't show up and when no buyer came, tempers started rising and Ryker's paranoia spiked hard. He pulled out his gun and started accusing they were being set up.

"The FBI decided to jump in then and bullets started flying, Ryker being the first to shoot. Anyone who tried leaving were taken into custody and Viggo lost his chance to get away. He actually let himself be caught without a fight. Ryker, on the other hand, went out shooting. He got shot and he fell into the river, considered dead after a long search as he wouldn't have been able to survive the rapids while being wounded. The gunfight didn't last long and anyone who wasn't dead was cuffed and brought to the station with only a few getting away. I was too to keep up appearances that I was still part of the gang even though I had been hiding.

"By then, Throk and I had already broken up and he was on his way getting together with Mala, who was in love with him but couldn't be with due to her position of power at the time. Everyone who were considered the most dangerous were sent to jail for life while others who were only there because they were in the same situation I was in got light sentencing... It was all a bit confusing to keep track of. Anyways, due to my situation and cooperation, I only stayed a month in a prison separated from the other members, but that put me in more danger as it made me look suspicious. But Viggo," Dagur paused and swallowed thickly as a sad look crossed his face, eyes watering. "Viggo sent a message to one of the higher gang members that lived and went to prison with him, saying he was the mole and forged my name on it. He wound up getting stabbed to death and saved my life in the process."

Hiccup's heart broke at the sight of Dagur's unshed tears and at the selfless act of one vicious gang member to keep the redhead safe. The anger, the fear, the uncertainty fled as Dagur's tale was coming to an end and Hiccup once more felt like an ass for not trusting the other. He trusted this story to be true because what else could it be? From what the auburn could tell, Dagur barely fidgeted and wouldn't look into Hiccup's eyes because he was ashamed of himself, not wanting to see the auburn's reactions as he talked. Not that Hiccup didn't know if Dagur was a good or bad liar, but he felt no reason not to trust him at this moment.

"From what Throk told me, I was considered a hero amongst the members and my safety was then guaranteed, letting me finally be free. Throk was no longer my handler, but he had already moved on with Mala and I was ready to finally do what I wanted to do. I figured a fresh start away from any gang filled islands was a start and Berk was my top choice thanks to my sister. I became clean, went to therapy several times a week for a while, told my family everything and reconnected with them, and went through a lot of inner changes. After almost a year later, I was able to buy the shop, fix it up, and move in and buy all the necessary equipment for the flowers. The end."

Silence fell upon them for a moment and Dagur rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, still not looking at Hiccup. The auburn took a moment to calm his emotions so he wouldn't stutter when he spoke, swallowing thickly to get rid of the lump stuck in his throat. With a calming breath, Hiccup stood up only to kneel down in front of Dagur, surprising the sitting man, and cupped his cheeks to get him to look at Hiccup. When emerald met dark olive, Dagur relaxed at what he saw in Hiccup's eyes and the tears overflowed down his cheeks, his face scrunching up as he began to full on cry; leaning forward until his forehead rested against Hiccup's shoulder. The auburn wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly as Dagur shook, sobbing and other noises that one does while crying were muffled.

The way Dagur sagged against Hiccup and clung to him with fingers gripping the front of his shirt was a sure sign of how relieved the redhead was that Hiccup showed no disgusted or hateful regard towards him after dropping that winded bomb. There was no reason to hate Dagur or be disgusted with him because of what he did for his family, something admirable. He may appear to be tough at first, but Hiccup knew Dagur was a big ole softie at heart and didn't try to hide it, using it as a way to make others comfortable around him. Must not have always been that way if he joined up with a gang in the first place, but Hiccup saw no malice hidden within Dagur that made him a threat. And he was changing his life around for the better, damn Hiccup if he didn't try to help with that.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Dagur whispered once he was able to get himself back under control, but his face was still pressed into Hiccup.

Hiccup petted the other in a soothing manner while shaking his head. "No, no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I had to drag that out of you before you were ready. I was just confused and scared after what happened at the lounge that I felt I had the right to know exactly what the man was talking about. And the only way I knew how that was going to happen was if you told me about your past. I feel like such an ass."

"You had every right to know," Dagur pulled back so he could finally gaze into Hiccup's eyes, his own red and puffy. "I just wish it hadn't come out like this. I wanted to tell you soon, but I guess running into Z sped things along. I'm sorry it had to come out this way." Depression filled his eyes at what he said next. "I understand if you no longer wish to continue our relationship."

Hiccup's stomach twisted in knots at the aspect of breaking up with Dagur and he showed how much he didn't want that by pulling the redhead into a kiss, taking Dagur by surprise. Hiccup didn't hesitate to deepen it by moving his head to one side and open his mouth for Dagur to explore and explore the other did. Large hands grasped the back of Hiccup's head to hold him still while the auburn's had moved down to clutch Dagur's shoulders, both breathing heavily through their noses. When the need to properly breathe became a bit much, they pulled back with a wet smack, panting.

"I'll take that as a good sign," Dagur murmured while pressing his forehead against Hiccup's, relief heavy in his voice.

Hiccup huffed out a laugh, not yet ready to open his eyes as his lips tingled from the kiss. "You are amazing Dagur." He gave a quick kiss to shut the redhead up when he felt Dagur open his mouth to undoubtedly protest before pulling back so Dagur could see the honesty in his gaze. "I mean it, Dagur, you are truly incredible. You did all you could to keep your family safe and then put your life on the line by working with the FBI and THEN taking down the biggest, baddest gang in the archapealago without taking any credit for it. And now you're doing your best to turn your life around."

"Well, I couldn't without putting myself and my family in danger, and I also risked my family's safety when I became a mole for the FBI so..."

"Shut up Dagur and let me compliment you."

The redhead giggled and brought Hiccup in for another kiss, this one slow, but short. "I love you."

"I love you too." Hiccup gave one more kiss before frowning slightly. "Not wanting to ruin the mood or anything, but... those two guys at the bar, are they something we need to worry about?"

Dagur's grin morphed into a smirk as he shook his head. "I texted Mala when those two first entered and then audio recorded them before sending that to Mala too. Those mofos will be picked up before noon tomorrow most likely."

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. "Good, for a while there I thought dating you was going to turn out to be dangerous."

"It still might. Who knows, one of those not so dangerous gang members who might be getting out soon might want revenge or the ones that got away might not be that stupid after all and figure everything out." Dagur shrugged it off as soon as he said it with a chuckle, as if trying to dispell the seriousness of it all.

"Let's hope that doesn't happen." Hiccup stood up and sat back down on the bed, lying back on his elbows and spreading his thighs. He smirked when Dagur's eyes widened at the scene and motioned the other to come to him.

Dagur did, but instead of covering Hiccup's body with his own, he sat down beside him and set a hand on Hiccup's thigh. The redhead had a look of complete exhaustion that he couldn't hold back anymore and Hiccup was quick to sit up to face him properly. "Mind if we just lay down together and go to sleep? I don't think I'll be able to get it up or keep it up for very long."

Hiccup smiled gently at the other and nodded, kissing him for a moment before standing up to divest himself of his clothes until he was down to his briefs. Dagur did the same while still on the bed and the two crawled their way beneath the blankets, Hiccup moving to be the big spoon. The auburn pressed himself against Dagur's back and wrapped an arm over his waist, hand settled against the redhead's stomach and knees tucked against the back of his. Dagur laced his fingers with the ones on his stomach and pushed back against Hiccup so that there was no space between them.

"Good night, I love you," Hiccup whispered into the back of Dagur's neck, kissing it gently.

"I love you too, freckles," Dagur replied sleepily, his body becoming slack as he yawned; the weight of the stress of tonight finally leaving.

Hiccup gave one last kiss before pressing the rest of his face into Dagur's neck, closing his eyes.

...

Hiccup woke with a jolt, sitting up and looking about him as a loud constant noise filtered through his tired brain. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes tiredly until he could see stars behind his lids from how hard he had pushed the heels of his hands into them. His brain finally took notice the noise was his phone ringing, the song telling him it was Gobber. Hiccup quickly slid out of bed, surprised to see Dagur was still dead asleep with his mouth slacked wide open and drooling, and looked t  
hrough his pants' pockets until he found his phone. The screen said it was just minutes after six in the morning and Hiccup glared tiredly at the device before answering it; the sound of the wind and an engine assaulted his ears.

"You do know it's six in the morning, right?" Hiccup grumbled as he sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb Dagur. 

"Good mornin' to ye too sunshine," was Gobber's reply, sounding a little too jovial for this early in the morning. "Letting ya know we're leavin' the docks now and should be there in three to four hours. I'll call when we're about to reach the island."

"Ok, thanks." Hiccup hung up with a sigh and let his phone drop back onto his pile of clothes after setting a timer. He wouldn't mind getting a few hours more of sleep, laying back down beside Dagur and resting his head down on he redhead's chest.

Hiccup could hear the constant thump of Dagur's heart beneath his ear and smiled, drawing random designs with his fingers where they settled a lower on the other's stomach. Dagur gave a long drawn out sigh in his sleep before smacking his lips and swallowing thickly, groaning quietly as a leg jiggled a second or two before falling back into a deeper sleep. Hiccup had come to notice that Dagur did a lot of things in his sleep during the times that the redhead had stayed at his place. Dagur only snored when he slept on his back, a leg would jiggle about almost every time he was about to wake up only to fall back asleep shortly after, and he sighed a lot just before falling asleep. A couple of times Hiccup was woken up by a hand slapping against his face or a knee to his bum. Once, during a late night while Hiccup couldn't fall asleep and read in bed, Dagur began twitching in his sleep before a hand randomly flung out, almost as if throwing something, before it fell back against the bed. Sharing a bed with Dagur was... interesting, to say the least.

Dagur suddenly started making quiet happy sounds in his sleep, giggling and moaning sleepily. Hiccup sat up to stare down at him and saw the other smiling, grinning himself as he felt one of Dagur's leg wiggle about again. Hiccup chuckled quietly when the redhead began humming 'mhm' a few times and wondered what Dagur could be dreaming about, seeing how the other wasn't hard. But then his face scrunched up in a confused frown, awake now and sitting up with eyes still closed. Hiccup had moved out of the way when Dagur had started to sit up and watched as the other slid off the bed and staggered his way towards the bathroom, arms held out to help him from running into anything, grumbling the whole way.

Hiccup giggled and laid back down to wait his turn to use the bathroom, listening to the sound of a stream hitting water. He tried not to pay attention to it, but due to the quiet in and outside of the room and with the bathroom door cracked open, it seemed awfully loud as it echoed out into the rest of the room. It now made Hiccup very aware of his own need to use the bathroom and stood up as soon as he heard the toilet flush. Dagur stumbled out with bleary eyes halfway closed and grumbled out a morning when Hiccup passed by him, climbing back into bed. Hiccup made quick work of relieving himself and crawled back into bed, curling up in his own space with the covers up to his chin.

"You pee funny," Dagur mumbled, voice still thick with sleep.

Well that was random. "...what?" Hiccup looked over his shoulder to see the other's eyes closed, a bit confused and yet oddly amused.

"You pee funny," Dagur repeated, not going into detail on why, already falling back to sleep.

"Ooook..." Hiccup chuckled before once more settling back down, willing himself to sleep. After fifteen minutes of failure despite the ache of it behind his eyes, he couldn't fall back to sleep. He knew he would eventually, but his phone alarm would probably go off by then and it rendered it useless. With a huff, Hiccup sat up and leaned over Dagur to grab his phone and hoped his jostling would wake up the redhead.

Dagur made a noise of discomfort, but that was it; easily falling back to sleep with a sigh. Hiccup cursed the other for his ability to sleep the way he did and sat back against the headboard to send a text to his mother, checking up on how Toothless was doing. The feline was probably going to be pissed by the time they got back and give him the silent treatment for a few days, probably run away to Dagur's place during the day. Like he doesn't do that already. He didn't expect a response considering the time and connected to the hotel's WiFi to waste some time on the web. As soon as he did, he wasn't expecting the many Facebook notifications popping up on top of the screen that forced him to turn off the sound so he wouldn't have to listen to the annoying noise of them. Might as well check and see what the fuss was all about...

Hiccup signed onto his Facebook account and clicked on the bell, seeing multiple comments about a picture he was tagged in. Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, he clicked the top one and his eyes immediately widened at the pic Dagur tagged him in. It was of him from yesterday at the lounge, the side of him facing the screen and smiling at something, or someone (Carl), too distracted to notice he was getting his picture taken. A half empty glass of beer sat just on the other side of him and his arms were crossed over the bar. The lounge wasn't all that bright, but it lit Hiccup just perfectly so that everything in the background was hidden in the darkness and making him the sole focus.

Hiccup tapped out of it and went back to the notifications, scrolling down until he found what he was looking for and tapped on it. Dagur had uploaded several pictures from yesterday onto his page some time while Hiccup wasn't paying attention. The first few were of the landscape of the beach, beautifully taken before the auburn started to become the focus of them. One of him from the side looking off into the water with the last two of them kissing. He felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment, but couldn't stop the smile that forced its' way onto his face and now understood why the many notifications. Dagur made no comment or explanation, but instead left behind a beating heart emoji, making Hiccup giggle uncontrollably. Exiting out, he tapped on the camera and pointed his phone towards the redhead, who was face down with the covers up to his shoulders, taking a picture of the sleeping man.

Hiccup snickered at the picture, Dagur's cheek pressed into his pillow and mouth slack, sadly no drool this time. He uploaded it unto his own Facebook page after editing a few hearts around Dagur's face, knowing the redhead wouldn't mind it. He used to hate the thought of posting personal stuff like this on social media, but now he found he wanted to show the world his love for the other. With that done, he went back and started scrolling, seeing what was going on in his friends' lives.

Even after everything Dagur told him last night, Hiccup found his love unwavering for the other and chose not to care what Dagur had done in the past. His parents always taught him not to judge others by their past and look at what they're doing now. Dagur has gone through great efforts to change and was doing his best to *be* the best that he could be, smiling and being kind to others. To move away from everything that he knew in order to fulfill that change, to completely remove himself so he wouldn't ever fall back on that again, spoke a lot to Hiccup. Sure, Berk wasn't without it's own problems, but it was a better place to restart one's life than some of the other nearby islands, especially those with more than one city or town. Hiccup smiled softly down at Dagur and ran a hand through red locks, drawing a contented sigh from him.

...

"I wish your uncle would have waited a little longer to pick us up," Dagur complained as he got dressed, bags under his eyes and back hunched over as he sat down and tied his boots. He looked a bit ruffled with his hair a mess and chin rough with stubble, but it looked absolutely adorable on him that Hiccup had to bend over and kiss him on the top of his head.

"It's revenge for having him come all the way out here for us," Hiccup replied into his hair, already dressed himself with two cups of coffee from the hotel's breakfast room. It wouldn't be as good as something from the coffee shop down the road, but Hiccup didn't want to spend anymore money than he had to and these two little paper cups would do well to keep them up until they were on he boat.

"He didn't have to pick us up," Dagur leaned into the kiss much like a cat, finished dressing.

"He isn't, he wants to, mostly due to the favor I now owe him." Hiccup straightened and handed one of the cups to Dagur, smirking in amusement when the coffee was swiped from his hand. "Hungry? We have enough time to get something from the hotel's continental breakfast bar."

"Fucking starving." 

The two checked out after leaving a generous tip on the nightstand and made a couple of breakfast sandwiches to eat on the way to a bus stop, munching on their goods as they waited for the transit. The ride there was quiet with Dagur fitting his head on top of Hiccup's shoulder, trying to grab a few more z's while the auburn texted his mom. While happy to see Valka, Toothless was very upset that it wasn't Hiccup and he knew the feline would get his revenge soon enough. Upon reaching the docks, Gobber was already there and waiting for them, his yellow metal hunk of a boat tied to the end of the pier where Hiccup pointed it out to Dagur.

"We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine," Dagur began singing quietly, making Hiccup break out in a fit of giggles.

The auburn shushed the redhead, doing a horrible job of containing himself.

"I'm going to use the bathroom before I get on that thing," Dagur mumbled before peeling himself away from Hiccup's side and made his way to the public restrooms at the entrance of the docks before the auburn could tell him the boat was cleaner on the inside.

Hiccup didn't blame him, the rust bucket that called itself a boat wasn't very appealing until you looked inside. It was to keep away thieves, so Gobber said, but Hiccup thought it was due to laziness. Or Gobber just liked the look, who knows. 

He continued his trek to the boat with his hands in his pockets, passing by much sharper and bigger looking vessels. Gobber's rusty thing looked out of place along side them and maybe that was why the man kept his boat the way it was. Said man was leaning against the railing at the bow of the boat, grinning when he spotted Hiccup.

"Ahoy Hiccup! Great day for a ride, aye?" The bald, blond mustached man tipped his faded blue ball cap, clothes matching the ship in terms of dirt and grease. "Where's that fella of yers, decided not to come?"

"Hey Gobber. He's just using the bathroom, he'll be back," Hiccup replied, spotting Dagur from his peripheral. He turned his eyes towards him and thinned his lips to keep from grinning at the way Dagur hesitated before turning back around and using the excuse to get something from the vending machine to keep off the boat a bit longer.

Gobber made no notion that he too had witnessed the scene and moved to lower the ladder for Hiccup. "Well, when he does finally come back, I have a job for him. Callin' in that favor he owes me."

"What favor? You mean for today?" Hiccup climbed up onto the boat and gave his uncle a small glare. "I thought I was the one who owed you a favor."

"Ye do, lad, but he's hitchin' a ride too so he owes me one as well." Gobber chuckled as he patted Hiccup's shoulder none too gently. "Speakin' of favors, I already know what I want from ya."

Hiccup was expecting a free day of labor of cleaning up boats and gutting fish and prepared himself for the worst when he nodded for the other to go ahead.

"I'm in need of a new pay system for my computer and I'll buy the parts you need, but-"

"I do the labor for free," Hiccup finished for him, not expecting that. It didn't sound too bad as long as Gobber kept away while he worked, knowing the man liked to chat. "Ok sure. I'll pick a few systems for you to look through and you can tell me which one you want."

"Sounds like a deal." Gobber held out his hand and the two shook on it.

Footsteps coming up the wooden steps from inside the boat had Hiccup frown in confusion before remembering that Gobber had said we several times on the phone. He wondered what poor sod got roped up into helping the captain of the rust bucket until poor sod rounded the back of the cabin and Hiccup paled. The newcomer was a young man, a few years older than the auburn, with tanned skin, long black hair pulled back into a low ponytail, amber colored eyes set beneath thick eyebrows, a strong jaw and high cheek bones, and a body similar to Dagur's; tattooed lines running from his bottom lip to his chin.

The black haired man smirked upon seeing Hiccup and the auburn wanted to scoff and roll his eyes at him. "Hello Hiccup, nice of you to join us."

"E-Eret," Hiccup stuttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, don't ever judge someone for their past, especially if they're trying to change. I didn't know my hubby was once a drug addict and kind of a man whore until after we married, but he's been changing himself for the better before we met and has been an excellent husband and father. Being an asshole to someone because of something they once did might ruin the way to recovery as they feel that trying to change has become useless. So please be kind, even to people you don't know.
> 
> Second cliffhanger in a row, someone is probably shooting at me by now. As always leave a comment or kudo, show the love.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support!

Hiccup must have pissed off some higher being in some religion for something like this to happen; a two and a half hour boat ride with his boyfriend and ex could only end in disaster. By the smug grin on Eret's face, it wasn't by accident either and Hiccup did not like what that entailed. The auburn pinched the bridge of his nose as the stress he had shed off from last night was weighing down his shoulders once more, but it was due to different reasons and just as staggering. The up and coming doom that would be Dagur meeting Eret had Hiccup's gut clench in nervousness.

"What are you doing here?" Hiccup asked while trying to hide his irritation, giving Gobber a quick questioning glance. "Shouldn't you be working on a boat or something?"

"Indeed I am, hence my presence," Eret replied easily, but Hiccup could sense the half hidden excuse. "This poor lady needed someone to keep an eye on her while out on open waters for so long. And when I heard that you were the one we would be picking up, well... I couldn't pass up the chance to see you again."

Hiccup was not impressed and it must have shown because Eret's grin lessened quite a bit. "Right. Yes, well," he turned to Gobber, "What's he really doing here?"

"Exactly what he said he was doin', but was very insistent on coming once yer name was mentioned," Gobber answered with a shrug before leaning in close to Hiccup with a hand raised to cover his mouth from Eret as he whispered, "But to tell the truth, I think he only came out of jealousy and hopes to win ye back. Which ya aren't, right?" He gave the auburn a 'you better not' glare, looking deadly serious.

"Gods no," Hiccup hissed quietly back with a roll of his eyes.

"Good," Gobber pulled back and ruffled Hiccup's hair. "Now I do believe that handsom redheaded man comin' this way belongs to ye, yes? He really didn' need to bring any food though." 

Hiccup noticed the way his uncle said this a bit louder than necessary, but he ignored it by turning towards his boyfriend finally finishing his walk to the boat with a few bottles of flavored milk in his box of parts and pockets full of snacks. He helped Dagur by reaching down and grabbing the box, making sure the redhead didn't slip as he climbed over the railing after setting his supplies aside. Out of the corner of his eye, Hiccup noticed the way Eret's eyes narrowed at Dagur as his mouth thinned and the auburn had to hold back another roll of his eyes. Dagur thanked Hiccup and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning towards the other two on the boat, completely oblivious to the dark aura surrounding Eret now.

With dread, Hiccup began the introductions. "This is Dagur, my boyfriend. Dagur, this is my uncle Gobber."

"Nice to meet you," Dagur greeted politely, excited to meet the man Hiccup spoke highly of.

"Ye as well," the mustached man replied earnestly. "Have to say, ye look better than the last guy Hiccup was with."

Dagur flushed lightly while a pleased smile covered his face. Eret, on the other hand, looked down right peeved and crossed his arms angrily while glaring at Gobber.

Hiccup did his best not to roll his eyes again and moved on to the next introduction in slight hesitation. "And this angry man is... Eret."

It took a small moment for Dagur to realize why Hiccup had hesitated and was now trying to hide his worry and confused anger, connecting the name and Hiccup's actions with wide eyes. "Ooooh. Well, that's.... something."

An awkward silence fell upon the small group and Hiccup mentally screamed at Gobber for allowing Eret to come along. This trip was going to be nothing but a stressed induced storm and he'll wind up falling dead from an anurysm or bald from pulling on his hair; Hiccup preferred being dead. Then at least he'll be done with this nightmare. Upon looking at Dagur, the redhead was trying very hard not to say anything inappropriate in front of Hiccup and had sucked in his bottom lip to bite it.

"Well, let's get this boat goin' shall we," Gobber pipped in with an easy grin, not caring about the chaos he had started. "Eret, why don't you untie us from the dock." He gave the black haired man a pointed look that was not to be questioned and the man obeyed with an annoyed sighed. Gobber waited until Eret was off the boat before turning his focus onto the couple. "I'm sorry about that Hiccup, he was very insistent on comin' and wouldn't take no for an answer. And I figured it would be good to show him that you have moved on and how happy you are now."

"Why would he want to get back together in the first place? He was the one that wanted the break up," Hiccup snapped before quickly apologizing for his rudeness. "I thought I was too dull for him."

Gobber made a face of displeasure at Hiccup's self unappreciative manner and opened his mouth to possibly reprimand him for his downward thinking, but Dagur beat him to it.

"Hey, none of that now," Dagur said gently as he wrapped an arm around Hiccup's waist and pulled him close to his side. "You are definitely not dull. You're just not as fast paced as everyone else and I think we can learn a thing or two on how to slow down and enjoy the moment. Who knows what we miss." Dagur leaned up to kiss Hiccup's temple. "I've certainly realized what I've gained by doing so."

Hiccup smiled softly in appreciation and turned his head to kiss Dagur on the lips. "Thanks."

"Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, ok?"

"Ok... I love you," Hiccup said with conviction as his gaze became more endearing. He would never tire of saying that to him nor would he get tired of the way Dagur lit up every time he said it.

"Love you too freckles." Dagur gave him one last kiss before their moment was interrupted.

"Took you long enough! What were you doin' that warranted such slowness in untyin' ropes, hm?" Gobber grouched at the man climbing over the railing, hands on his hips and glaring at Eret disapprovingly.

Eret smiled tightly as he finished his climb and landed on the boat softly, shrugging. "They were stuck. I don't know anything about ropes, I'm no boy scout." It was obviously a lie (the ropes being stuck bit that is) and he was covering it up poorly. Whatever he was trying to gain by lying, he wouldn't be getting it.

"Right," it didn't look like Gobber believed it either, but decided not to push on it and turned around to make his way to the cabin. "Let's be off then."

Eret followed the portly man with his eyes before noticing the couple's gaze. He gave Hiccup a nod of acknowledgement then glared at Dagur as he passed by him, bumping his shoulder into the redhead without a half-hearted sorry. Dagur frowned after him, eyebrows set harshly, and for a moment, Hiccup feared the other might go after Eret. But then Dagur closed his eyes and let out a controlled breath, tugging Hiccup closer to him until there was no space left between their sides. The auburn was not looking forward towards the headache today was going to bring.

...

The first hour of the trip went surprisingly ok. Gobber spent his time steering the boat and singing random shanties, Eret stayed down in the bowel of the boat doing who knows what, while Hiccup and Dagur spent most of their time in the back of the boat, sitting down on a nailed down bench with a blanket covering the rusty seat. For a moment, Hiccup thought the rest of the trip would be like this until Eret made his way back up top ten minutes later the thought occured. His mood soured as soon as saw the dark haired man heading for them and placed a soothing hand on Dagur's knee when the redhead tensed, having noticed the other's trek as well. A look of determination was set on Eret's face and Hiccup prayed to Odin that the man wouldn't make a fool out of himself.

"May I speak with you? Alone?" Eret asked, more like demanded, Hiccup, giving Dagur a pointed look that he wasn't welcomed.

A small growl left Dagur's mouth and made to stand, but Hiccup moved his hand from the other's leg to his shoulder and squeezed gently while standing up himself. The couple glanced at each other, one worried and the other more annoyed than anything while Erett watched with a smug grin. The prick wouldn't be very smug after their little talk, Hiccup would make sure of it.

"I'll be back," Hiccup said to Dagur and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'll holler if I need you."

"I'll come down like a raging bull if you do," Dagur replied with a grin that didn't reach his eyes.

Hiccup nodded and motioned for Eret to lead the way. The dark haired man took him back down inside the boat, not a spot of rust or mildew to be seen down here, and asked him to have a seat at the table pressed up against one side of the boat's hull. Hiccup shook his head and remained standing, not quite comfortable enough to sit down at the moment. Eret shrugged and leaned back against the table with his hands planted on either side of him, looking down for a moment to possibly gather his thoughts or appear vulnerable. Hiccup didn't believe it for a second, knowing all his tricks.

"I'm just gonna come right out and say it," Eret started, moving his gaze back up. "I miss you Hiccup and I want us to get back together."

The auburn snorted in disbelief that quickly turned into a chuckle, shaking his head while smiling humorlessly. He saw this coming as soon as he saw Eret and the way the other looked at Dagur. Hiccup knew this unwanted conversation was going to happen wether he liked it or not. He hoped Eret would just keep it to himself as soon as he saw Hiccup and Dagur together, but Eret was not one for keeping quiet when jealous. And this was what it was, jealousy. The man was not happy that Hiccup had moved on and was no longer available for Eret to manipulate him back into a loveless relationship. Hiccup realized the cues, knew what the man really wanted, and that was sex. That was all Eret was hoping to gain from him and Hiccup was amused at how the other actually thought this would end well. He had been such an idiot for falling in love with a man like Eret, believing he was a wonderful guy, but after a great deal of thinking of their relationship, Hiccup learned that not to be true. That he was blinded and foolish for believing that.

"No," Hiccup replied simply.

"Oh come on! We were great together," Eret said, quick to frustration, but tried to hide it behind a friendly smile.

Of course, Hiccup thought with a quick roll of his eyes. "No, Eret, we weren't. The sex part sure, it was fantastic, but that's all it was, wasn't it?" He crossed his arms and stared calmly at the other while annoyance filled him. "That's pretty much the only thing we enjoyed doing together and we did that more than we actually talked like couples are supposed to do in a relationship. Why should we get back together if its' undoubtedly going to be the same? Hm?" 

Eret had obviously rehearsed this in the past hour because he was quick to answer without any hesitation, "Because I love you." Erett gave him the smolder that used to work on Hiccup once, but he felt nothing but irritation now.

"No you don't."

Erett dropped the smolder as his eyes widened in shock, probably wondering why the look wasn't working. "Yes I do! I absolutely do!"

The man was grasping at straws now from what Hiccup could tell, confident in thinking that he would have the auburn by now and did not think of a plan B.

"No you absolutely do not," Hiccup snorted in anger. "I can see it on your face. You might have once, but you don't now. Not anymore. Even if you did, I still wouldn't change my mind. I'm in love with Dagur and he makes me very happy."

"Oh for-what does he have that I don't?" Erett pushed away from the table and stood his full height, but that didn't matter since Hiccup still stood a few inches taller than him.

"Really? You're really going to ask a childish question? Ok. For one, he actually listens to me when I talk instead of interrupting me even if its' something he finds boring. He treats me like a person and not some article of clothing he has to have with him at all times to look good in front of his friends. Nuh-uh, zip it! I'm not done." Hiccup held up a hand to stop Eret from speaking when the other opened his mouth. "He has been nothing but kind and sincere with me even before we got together and easily forgave me when I was particularly cruel with him. He's everything I didn't know I needed and I love him."

"How can you possibly love him when you haven't known him for very long?" Eret hissed quickly, becoming red in the face with anger.

"How would you know wether or not I've been with him for a while? You and I have been broken up for almost three months now and don't tell me that's not enough time to move on. Remember the blond girl you met not even a week after we broke up? Or the redhead or the brunette? What about those twins?" Eret could have cheated on him while they were together for all he knew.

Eret had the audacity to look ashamed before quickly covering it up with anger. "And how could you possibly know about that? You stalking me?"

"Gobber isn't blind and he certainly likes to talk a storm whenever he calls unexpectedly. Seriously, do you bring all your dates to the docks?" Hiccup was done with this conversation as it seemed it was turning into a useless fight, but he wanted to make sure Eret got the point that any future attempts won't be allowed. "And why would I stalk you? You made it perfectly clear where I stood and I'm not some jealous, obsessed, hormonal loony. Besides," Hiccup gave Eret a once over and overdramatized being unimpressed, "you're not worth it."

Hiccup knew that last bit was petty and the look of hurt from the other, while it gave him immense pleasure at the moment, would soon make him feel horrible once he calmed down. He wasn't petty, not normally, that was Snotlout's job and Hiccup was the one who usually desolved the fights amongst his friends. But right now, he could care less how he made Eret feel as long as the dark haired man understood there were no future chances with Hiccup.

"I think you should stay down here for the rest of the trip," Hiccup suggested before Eret could speak, though it didn't sound like one. "I don't want to see your face until we get home." And with that, he was climbing back up to Dagur, his amazing boyfriend, and sitting down next to him.

Dagur gave him another worried look, this one stronger at the mood Hiccup was in, but thankfully didn't say anything other than, "Need anything?"

"Just hold me," Hiccup replied quietly, slumping against Dagur's side.

Dagur wrapped an arm across the other's shoulders and drew Hiccup to him. Hiccup laid his head on Dagur's shoulder and snuggled close to him, feeling the other's warmth through both their jackets. Behind them in the cabin, Gobber kindly whistled and acted as if he hadn't noticed them, giving them the privacy they very much wanted. 

"Rolo?" Dagur held out a golden wrapped chocolate which Hiccup took and ate after discarding the foil. The redhead then held out his bottle of strawberry milk and the auburn gladly drank some, not minding that it was now lukewarm.

This was what he needed right now, to be taken care of and not asked any questions. Dagur would save the questioning for later when they were alone no doubt and Hiccup was glad for the other's thoughtfulness, happy to just sit there quietly and eat junk food. When lunch came, Hiccup had a feeling Gobber already prepared them a meal and would be the one to go down into the boat to go get it to save everyone from any more fights or uncomfortableness. And sure enough, when lunch time came around the large man had Hiccup take control of the boat so he could go down and get whatever he made from the mini fridge. 

"You look kinda sexy behind the wheel," Dagur commented from the doorway of the cabin, smirk in place and eyebrows waggling. 

Hiccup huffed out a small laugh as he sped up the beast from Gobber's comfortable settings, hoping to get home faster. Dagur grabbed onto the frame to keep from falling back and someone cursed loudly from below with the sound of something crashing. If he could get away with it, Hiccup would have sped up more and drove like a wild man, but he knew he was pushing it going this fast already. Gobber would banish him from ever stepping foot on his beloved boat again and no amount of begging would change his mind.

"What in the hell's name are you doin' up there boy?!" Gobber shouted as he climbed back up the steps with a small cooler. "You better not be pushin' my boat!" He smacked the back of Hiccup's head before pushing him aside, slowing the boat back down. 

Hiccup moved while waving Gobber's hand away, grabbing the cooler that was shoved into his chest. He groaned at the harsh act, rubbing his chest when he freed up a hand, before opening the cooler to find several types of sandwiches individually wrapped inside. Hiccup held it out to Gobber to have the first pick and then held it to Dagur, grabbing a chicken salad sandwich when it was his turn. His uncle may not be much of a cook, but he knew how to make a sandwich and Hiccup was happy to dig in and fill his empty stomach. 

...

There was no point in his life that Hiccup felt so happy to be back on land after spending so much of his time on the water growing up. But the awkwardness and the tension growing on the boat almost made him want to abandon ship miles away from land. If Dagur wasn't there to hold his hand and ground him, distracting him with sweet kisses and small talk, Hiccup would have happily drowned than spend another minute on that deck. Eret had obeyed and stayed down below, but once they docked he was the first one off and stomped away without helping to tie the ship down. Gobber let him go with nothing but a grumble of disapproval while Hiccup did the job of anchoring the rig to the docks.

A quick thanks on Hiccup's part, a very long handshake and ass kissing on Dagur's, and the two were off to the van in the parking lot; no mention of favors to the redhead said. Hiccup was dropped off at his apartment first so he could check up on Toothless while Dagur went back to the shop to do some last minute inventory that was supposed to be done yesterday or earlier this morning. They agreed to have dinner together at Atali's once Dagur was finished, the redhead not in a cooking mood today, before heading back to Hiccup's place for the night. 

Upon opening the door to his apartment, Hiccup was bombarded with a pitiful yowling ball of fur who jumped up onto him. He had to quickly drop his box of parts (he was already cursing himself for that as pieces scattered across the floor) to wrap his arms around the cat to keep the feline from falling, petting him as Toothless snuggled up beneath his chin and dug his claws into Hiccup. A quick kick shut the door, a little too loudly, and Hiccup dropped down onto the couch so he could love on his lonely cat, apologize for being away longer than anticipated. Toothless purred loudly at the attention and started to drool, eyes closed in content while butting into Hiccup's chin. The human allowed the drool to be spread around his chin and dripped down onto his chest as he comforted his cat, not exactly expecting this type of welcoming.

Hiccup sent a quick thank you message to his mother and then proceeded to watch some TV until Toothless was satisfied. He couldn't out of good conscience get up and leave his lonely cat to take a shower and finish some work on a few computers now could he. It could be a while before then as Toothless had settled down on Hiccup's chest and fallen asleep with his wet nose pressed against his human's neck. Hiccup grimaced at the feel of it and tried once to gently move the feline's head away, but Toothless immediately scrambled back into place and dug his claws back into the human's shirt. With a tired sigh, Hiccup settled into the couch and wondered what had happened to get Toothless this clingy.

He had spent over night in Vanahiem several times before, usually in the winter during bad weather, and Toothless had never been like this before when Hiccup returned. The feline usually gave him the cold shoulder for a day or so before he got over it and returned to following Hiccup everywhere again. The only time he's ever acted like this was when he had a bad experience with too much catnip... Hiccup grabbed his phone and immediately dialed his mother. He didn't have to wait long for her to answer. 

"Hello dear! What can I do for you?" Valka answered, sounding out of breath. Oh gods, let that be because she had been exercising.

"You wouldn't happen to give Toothless any catnip while I was gone, did you?" He didn't bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point of the call.

"... Well yes, this morning when I checked up on him and fed him. I spotted the catnip container beside his food and decided a little wouldn't hurt," she panted.

Hiccup stayed silent as he stood up and made his way to the bathroom while carrying Toothless in one arm, flicking on the light. He frowned deeply and made a sound of irritation at the empty box of catnip and green flakes spread across the bathroom floor, a trail of it leaving the tiled room. He then noticed the the dust of nip within Toothless' fur and would have pinched the bridge of his nose if he could.

"What's wrong?" Valka asked, her heavy breathing slowing.

"I don't think you put it away properly," Hiccup answered with a sigh. There was no reason to get angry with his mother, it was only an accident.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"Toothless had a bit too much catnip and had a bad experience sometime after you left."

"Oh dear, I'm so, so sorry Hiccup!"

"It's ok mom, it was an accident. He's just being a bit clingy is all." Hiccup moved back to the couch and laid down this time, trying to lighten his voice so as to not worry his mother.

"Poor thing." Her breathing had gone back to normal other than the occasional deep breath. "Again, I'm sorry."

"Again, it was an accident so don't worry about it. Thanks for checking on him while I was gone."

"Of course, it was nice to see him again. How was the trip? Heard that Gobber had to pick you up." The sound of wind and waves could be heard in the background now and Hiccup mentally sighed in relief. She had been running, course.

"It was interesting. Had a very in depth talk with Dagur, learned more about him."

"I take it was good?"

"Very much so."

"Good. Well I won't hold you, I'll talk to you later."

"Ok, bye."

"Bye, love you dear."

"Love you too mom."

Hiccup hung up and sat his phone down on the coffee table, shimmying his back into the couch for a more comfortable position. Toothless let out a sigh in his sleep, now curled up with a paw covering his face and tail twitching lazily. Turning his attention back to the TV, Hiccup saw that the channel was on some history channel and wondered if it would be worth moving Toothless to grab the remote. He looked down at the cat and decided it wouldn't hurt to know more about the civil war.

...

Dagur didn't bother knocking and went straight to opening the door, having texted minutes before that he was there. He held a vase with a single hydrangea in one hand and a paper bag of food from Atali's tucked under his arm. The redhead must have read his mind on staying in rather than go out and Hiccup was glad Dagur had the forethought of picking up food before coming over. Upon seeing parts scattered in front of the door and Hiccup relaxed on the couch, Dagur smirked with a hint of confusion while using a hip to close the door before grabbing the bag from under his arm and setting it on the coffee table; going back to clean up the mess right quick. Hiccup made sure to thank him as he did so.

"Good thing I cancelled our reservation, hm?" Dagur joked after setting the box on the dining table and sat down next to Hiccup when the auburn bent his knees and moved his feet out of the way.

The auburn snorted and proceeded to sit up, moving Toothless to the armrest. The cat meowed tiredly in protest at being moved and yawned widely, stretching. He then noticed Dagur and mewed in pleasant surprise while standing up, stretching once more, before hopping over to the other to great him. Dagur smiled warmly and allowed the feline to climb into his lap, Toothless headbutting the human's chin while purring.

"Good thing you got food before coming here," Hiccup replied. "Would be terribly annoying for you to have to leave again to go get it after you just got here." He sat up and pulled the bag towards him to have a look at what the other brought.

"I got us several different things so we don't have to worry about eating something we might not like." Dagur kissed Toothless' head before scratching the feline's cheeks, causing the floodgates of drool to break. The redhead made a sound of disgust when the drool dampened a spot on his shirt.

"Mmm, good thinking. But I've never had something there that I didn't like." Hiccup pulled out the containers and looked inside each one, having a hard time on which one he wanted. In the end, he chose the cabbage and sausage stir fry that had chunks of potatoes and carrots and dug in, his stomach grumbling thankfully for the food. "Thank you."

"Anything for my darling Hiccup," Dagur retorted before leaning over and kissing Hiccup on the cheek, making him giggle. When the redhead sat back, an unreadable emotion filled his eyes as he tried looking as if he wasn't about to ask an awkward question. "Sooo... what did Eret want to talk about?"

Hiccup unintentionally groaned in annoyance, tossing his head back as he did so. "He wanted us to get back together."

Dagur's brows furrowed in irritated disbelief. "What?"

"I know, it was stupid. Turned him down, quite hard, and told him to stay down in the bowel of the boat." Hiccup shoved a spoonful of vegetables and meat into his mouth and shook his head. "Can't believe he actually thought I would dump you for him, smug bastard..." he mumbled with his mouth full.

"If I hadn't sworn to not get into any more fights, I would go searching for him right now and show him what for."

"No need for that, he got the message."

Dagur still appeared angered by the whole Eret situation, but reluctantly let it be and relaxed in his seat as he eyed the boxes, petting Toothless. "While you were doing *that*, Gobber talked to me about a favor?"

Hiccup let out a sigh and rolled his eyes."Since you 'hitched a ride as well' you owe him a favor too," he explained. "What did he want?"

"Recipes. Word got out that I made a magnificent dinner for your family last week and he felt like he missed out when he didn't make it," Dagur replied, looking conflicted on what to do with Toothless. "I offered to cook for him, but he said he liked cooking new things himself before trying to compare." He shrugged.

Oh. Right. Hiccup had forgotten that his uncle had been invited to that family dinner, but never showed up with an explanation that he hadn't heard of. His mind was so full of nerves and surprise that day to remember Gobber. "Did he say why he didn't come?"

"Didn't want another meatball knocking around in his stomach, whatever that means..."

Hiccup snickered around another spoonful of food, knowing exactly what Gobber meant, and watched as Dagur set Toothless down on the back of the couch so he could grab the container of seafood alfredo, the feline not very happy at being moved again. The cat swatted the back of Dagur's head, making him yelp in indignation, before jumping down to head towards the bathroom. Where catnip was still all over the floor.

"Shit," Hiccup hissed as he scrambled to get up and ran towards the bathroom.

...

Crisis averted and cleaned, dinner eaten, dishes done, and Toothless fed, the couple got ready for bed and curled against each other beneath the covers. It was a bit early for bed, but the two had other things in mind besides sleeping and Hiccup was letting it be known that he was taking charge tonight by flipping Dagur onto his back and settling in between his legs. Dagur hummed in pleasant agreement and gasped when their underwear clad hips thrusted against each other, running his large hands down to cup Hiccup's rump. The auburn pressed open mouthed kisses to the other's freshly shaven jaw and worked his way up to his lips, delving his tongue into Dagur's open mouth.

"What are you planning on doing to me tonight?" Dagur asked breathlessly when the kiss broke, eyes closed and enjoying the feel of their erections rubbing together.

"I have a few ideas," Hiccup replied with a smirk and reached over to the nightstand to grab the lube, the motion making the other open his eyes.

Dagur quirked an eyebrow in interest and spread his legs further apart, bucking up into Hiccup. "Better get to it then before I come in my underwear."

"Then maybe I should stop for a bit so you can calm down." Hiccup bit back a grin when Dagur's eyes widened in panic.

"You better fucking not! I will tie you down if I have to!" Dagur exclaimed while wrapping his legs around the other's waist.

"We'll save the bondage for another time perhaps," Hiccup giggled and gave a harsh thrust, making Dagur throw his head back with a gasp. "Now there's an idea. Maybe throw in a blindfold, tie you down so you're helpless against me." He could tell his words had a delicious affect on the redhead by the way Dagur bucked his hips and nodded quickly in agreement. "Yeah? Have you down on your stomach, unable to move as I fuck you? Come in you?"

Dagur reached up to grab Hiccup's head and pull him down into a rough kiss, teeth clacking and biting. The redhead pulled back with a wet smack and panted, "you better do something before I act out my threat."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and smirked, sitting up onto his knees. "Ok, ok, let's get these off." He slipped off his own briefs quickly before starting on Dagur's, divesting them slowly. He giggled again when Dagur covered his eyes with his hands at Hiccup's slowness and the auburn took pity on him, slipping the briefs down the redhead's legs quickly. "I'm going to take you with my fingers tonight. Is that ok?"

"More than ok if you just get on with it," Dagur almost growled, impatient.

Hiccup grinned endearingly and nodded, once more settling down between Dagur's legs. He sat on his knees and used his hands to plant Dagur's feet widely apart on the mattress, hooked over his knees, and gulped loudly at the redhead's bared entrance. "You're astounding."

"You're not so bad yourself," Dagur whispered. He licked his lips when Hiccup grabbed the tube of lube and spread a generous amount on his fingers, resting a hand behind his head while the other twitched on his thigh from the effort of trying not to grab his aching cock. "Please, freckles, give it to me."

Hiccup smiled gently and obliged, rubbing his slick fingers over Dagur's hole while his other hand gripped the redhead's knee. When he felt Dagur loosen beneath his fingers, Hiccup slid his middle digit inside carefully and hummed in enjoyment when Dagur's eyes slid shut, jaw slackening as a pleasured sigh escaped his mouth. The redhead's cock twitched and a drop of precome fell onto his stomach when Hiccup found his prostate, gasping out a moan that encouraged the auburn to continue. Like before with the underwear, Hiccup teased Dagur slowly as he explored the other inside, deliberately missing his prostate after the first touch.

Before Dagur could beg for more, Hiccup easily slipped in another finger and caught the other's gaze when Dagur's eyes snapped opened as a loud groan slipped out. The hand not behind his head grabbed the back of Hiccup's and forced him down into a sloppy, opened mouth kiss that made Hiccup tingle all over. Dagur sucked the auburn's tongue into his mouth and suckled it with a hum, making Hiccup groan with pleasure, before letting it go so he could gently bite down on Hiccup's bottom lip.

Hiccup lazily moved his fingers inside of Dagur, scissoring him open and occasionally brushing against his prostate; drawing shivers and surprised gasps from him each time. He loved watching Dagur like this, submissive with a flush spreading down from his cheeks to his chest while his toes curled in intense desire. Hiccup missed doing this, being the dominant one and bringing his partner pleasure; it's been so long since he last done this. Eret always had to be coursed into bottoming, the prep was painstakingly slow and not enjoyable on both parties. Sometimes neither of them got off unless they switched positions. It was obvious Eret was a total top, but Hiccup liked switching, enjoying both positions and he was glad Dagur was the same. But Eret no longer had a place in Hiccup's memories and he quickly shook whatever thought he had of him to return his focus back on his lover.

"Give me another," Dagur demanded in a whisper.

Hiccup eased a third into the other and bit his lip when Dagur rolled his eyes back and arched his back, letting out a long groan of ecstacy. The auburn moved his hand from the other's knee down to his cock, wrapping fingers around it loosely and stroking it lazily as he thrust his fingers into Dagur. Just the bare touch to his erection and the sight of Dagur made him want to come and he could tell by the sounds the redhead was making that he was getting close too. Hiccup didn't want to come before Dagur, so he let himself go with a quiet whine and refocused his efforts on bringing the redhead off.

"Oh fuck, freckles, you feel so good," Dagur panted. "Yes, yes, harder. Fuck me harder."

Hiccup gulped at how mouthy his love seemed tonight and thrust his fingers in and out of him harshly, pushing against his prostate each time. "You like that?"

"Yes! Yesyesyesyes, please give me more. You're so good to me." Dagur's moans became more frequent and louder, breath hitching and gasps becoming more gutteral.

"Think you can take another?" 

Dagur bucked his hips down onto Hiccup's fingers and nodded his head hurriedly, opening his eyes to watch Hiccup grab the lube and add a little more around the rim of his entrance. Carefully, Hiccup added his pinky and held his hand still for Dagur to get used to the stretch; having never used this many fingers before. They normally used two to bring each other off, making it easy to milk the prostate, but they hadn't done more than that since they were still waiting for the call. But seeing Dagur stretched wide around his fingers and leaking precome was such a sight to behold. The other looked absolutely gorgeous.

"This ok?" Hiccup asked. He had to, not wanting to move forward until he knew Dagur was enjoying himself too.

"Oooh fuck yeah," Dagur groaned, laying his head back while closing his eyes. "No need to be gentle, I won't break. Please take me."

Hiccup leaned over Dagur and set his forearm next to the redhead, resting on it and gazing down at his slack jawed face. The auburn jerked his fingers inside Dagur and attacked his prostate mercilessly, making the other yelp in surprise. Dagur's hands flew up to grip Hiccup's arm and side, hips moving down onto the auburn's fingers. Feet lifted off the bed so thighs could clamp down on Hiccup while the ring of muscles squeezed around fingers tightly, Dagur coming hard with a breathless gasp. He moaned quietly with each spurt, Hiccup's motions softening but still helping Dagur through his orgasm.

When Dagur relaxed and fell back against the bed, Hiccup pulled his fingers out and rested his slick hand on the other side of Dagur so he could spit on his clean one and jerk himself of hurriedly into completion. Hiccup came quickly with a cut off shout and spilled his seed over Dagur's hip. Spent and satisfied, Hiccup fell on top of the redhead and panted into his chest, a grin plastered on his lips.

"Holy fuck," Dagur whispered breathlessly, swallowing loudly.

"You're amazing," Hiccup commented, voice muffled. He sat up and smiled lovingly down at Dagur. "I love you."

Dagur smiled like the sun. "I love you too."

They met halfway and kissed each other softly, enjoying the light touch of lips. 

"I'm going to go wash my hands and grab a cloth," Hiccup said as he got up after another small kiss. "I'll be right back."

"I'll be counting the seconds." Dagur had let himself relax back against the bed and closed his eyes, sighing happily.

Hiccup chuckled as he made his way to the bathroom, washed his hands, and wet a rag. When he made it back, Dagur was fast asleep with one hand resting on his stomach and the other beside his head. Hiccup smiled gently at the sight and proceeded to clean up Dagur, the redhead not even twitching in his sleep. That done, Hiccup grabbed another comforter from the hallway closet and threw it over Dagur before climbing in and cuddled against his side. However, he wasn't quite as tired yet so he went out into the living room to grab his laptop before sitting down beneath the covers and leaning back against the headboard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't get me wrong, I like Eret in the movies, but him being an asshole in this just seemed to fit. Maybe one of these days I'll make abine shot of him, Hiccup, and Dagur in a threesome...
> 
> Anyways, leave a comment or kudo, show the love. Helps me to continue writing.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, this is pretty much a sex chapter so skip it if you want. Thank you all for all the support! Really means a lot.

If Hiccup didn't believe in blue balls, he did now. It had been over a week since their appointments and both he and Dagur had yet to receive any kind of word on their results. Three to four business days my ass. No amount of jerking off or prostate milking would lessen the need they had for each other and the desire to finally penetrate the other that wasn't with their fingers. They still had fun, but it just wasn't the same as being able to connect in such an intimate way; to feel the heat and fullness that fingers couldn't bring. Toys were mentioned or used a few times, Hiccup having a small stash beneath his bed in a box, but again, it wasn't the same.

Finally having enough of waiting, Hiccup called. He was blown away when the young woman on the other end of the line murmured embarrassingly that they forgot to call them once their results came in and didn't bother to give an excuse. Hiccup had to take a moment to calm down so as to not yell at the woman, but he couldn't quite keep the irritation from his voice as he asked if he could have the results now. It took some time before the woman found it, apologizing many times, and told him the outcome of the test.

He was clean.

The answer was enough to lighten his mood and thanked the woman before hanging up. He texted Dagur his results, not wanting to bother him with a call in case he was busy with a costumer, and didn't have to wait long before Dagur replied. He was clean too. Relief filled Hiccup as a weight fell off his shoulders, the long wait worth it. Another text came through before the auburn could say anything and all it said was, 

*Come over during lunch break*-D

Excitement shrilled through him at the prospect of what might occur in half an hour and he was already hardening in his pants. He knew it was going to be quick and penetrative-less, but he also knew what he was going to do once he got to the flower shop. He was going to get his mouth on Dagur and swallow him down in the back office. It was only a ten minute bike ride from his apartment to the shop, but Hiccup was too excited to wait anymore. He slipped on his shoes and forgon his jacket since it was fairly warm out today, pushing his bike out the front door. Carrying the bike down the steps was a little precarious as it usually was, but it seemed more so now due to the anticipation of meeting up with Dagur and not for a casual talk or lunch.

He was panting and sweating by the time he rolled in front of the boutique and set his bike against the wall next to the door. He took a moment to catch his breath and fix his clothing before opening the door calmly as if he hadn't been riding at full speed. Dagur glanced to the side to see who had entered before doing a double take upon noticing the auburn, his business phone pressed to his ear. An eyebrow raised, undoubtedly due to the state Hiccup was in, and the side of Dagur's lips quirked into a small smirk. Desire filled his emerald eyes as he spoke to whoever was on the other line, keeping his gaze on Hiccup. The call ended soon after and silence filled the shop as the two stared at each other.

"So," Dagur said with amusement.

"So," Hiccup replied with a small smile.

"Aren't you going to come over here and kiss me hello?"

Hiccup giggled and made his way to his boyfriend, stepping into his personal space so he could lean in and kiss Dagur on the lips. He kept it simple and sweet and didn't cave when Dagur whined at the loss of contact. Hiccup tutted and pulled away until he was on the other side of the counter, stance relaxed and hands shoved into his pocket. He was anything but relaxed right now.

"You still have ten minutes left until your lunch break," Hiccup pointed out, knowing he was being a tease.

"I can close a little bit early for lunch," Dagur retorted, getting up from his stool to do just that as a costumer walked in. Hiccup could practically hear the redhead's mental screaming of disappointment. "Go to my office and don't move."

The patron glanced between the two in confusion as Hiccup smirked and walked away towards the back, closing the office door quietly. It would be fifteen minutes before the door opened and Dagur slipped in, re-closing it a little bit too loudly that was probably due to excitement. Hiccup, who had been sitting in Dagur's computer chair and messing around on his phone, set said phone aside on the desk and stood up gracefully to stalk towards Dagur, pushing him against the door and attacking his mouth. Dagur let out a shocked, but pleased, sound and wrapped his arms around Hiccup as he fought back. It was a battle of wills and tongues, hands grasping at each other, and Hiccup wasn't about to lose. He had been waiting to do this for too long and he wasn't going to let Dagur be the first to touch him with his mouth in certain sensitive areas.

They scrambled backwards until Hiccup's thighs met Dagur's desk and he almost buckled under the weight the redhead used to push him down onto it, but he held firm and broke the kiss to bite the lobe of Dagur's ear. Having one of his weak spots bitten had Dagur going lax in his hold and Hiccup was quick to flip them around, moving them until he was able to shove Dagur into his chair. The redhead fell back and scowled up at Hiccup, but it held no heat. The scowl soon turned into one of desire when Hiccup leaned down to trail kisses from Dagur's mouth to his neck as he worked on opening the redhead's pants, slowly moving to his knees when he did.

Hiccup had to move his lips away from the other's neck to properly kneel, but soon pressed them against Dagur's underwear clad erection. He inhaled deeply, taking in Dagur's musk with a soft groan, and mouthed the hardness, wetting the cloth covering it. Dagur moaned above him and Hiccup set about pulling his hardness from his pants, shaking from anticipation as Hiccup freed the redhead's cock. The length and girth were perfect, color dark, head red and glistening, hairless and soft. Hiccup pulled the other's pants and briefs down his hips after Dagur raised them, pushing them to his feet. He kissed the small splotchy birth mark on the left side of the redhead's toned V and then licked and nipped a path from it, up the side of Dagur's cock. 

When he reached the tip, Hiccup gave it a wet kiss before lapping at it with the flat of his tongue. Dagur shook beneath him and panted as hands clenched on the chair's armrests, looking down at Hiccup with flushed cheeks and heat filled eyes. The auburn grinned sensually back as he opened his mouth to suck in the tip, eyes almost rolling back into his head at the taste when a spurt of precome fell onto his tongue. It was salty, but not in an unpleasant way, and he rolled his tongue over the head to gather up more.

"Thor Hiccup, you and that tongue," Dagur hissed, gripping the chair.

Hiccup hummed in delight and took more of the redhead into his mouth until he reached the back of his throat. He swallowed back the automatic gag and allowed Dagur to slide into his throat, not stopping until his nose brushed against smooth skin. It's been a while since Hiccup last deep throated someone and Dagur was a little bigger than Ere-his last lover, which made it take a little longer to get used to. But when Dagur threw back his head and let out a choked off gasp while grabbing Hiccup's hair with one hand, it was beautiful. The auburn let off until he was back at the tip and gave it a bit of love with his tongue before swallowing the redhead back down, moaning in delight at the taste and feel of Dagur going down his throat.

"Holy shit," Dagur groaned as he let his chin drop down to his chest, watching Hiccup with glassy eyes. "You're fucking amazing. Can I use your mouth? Could you take it?"

Hiccup quickly nodded and relaxed his jaw before grabbing Dagur's other hand to place that one on his head as well. The redhead held his head between his hands and slowly at first began to thrust into Hiccup's mouth, testing to see what he could do without hurting him. When the auburn gave no sound or motion of protest, Dagur sped up, pushing Hiccup's head down while snapping his hips up. Saliva dripped down from Hiccup's mouth and onto Dagur's cock, making the slide easier, and Hiccup closed his eyes to focus on keeping his jaw slack and lips tight while at the same time enjoying being used by the other.

"Fuck Hiccup, your mouth is so hot and your throat tight, I almost feel like I'm actually fucking you," Dagur panted, hips beginning to lose their rhythm. "I'm so close freckles. Can I come in your mouth?"

Hiccup nodded once more with a hum and moved a hand down to cup and play with Dagur's balls, rolling them around and gently squeezing them. Dagur hissed in delight before holding the auburn's head still so he could fuck up into Hiccup's mouth, cursing and praising Hiccup as he used him. With a growl, Dagur pushed his cock one last time into the auburn's throat and came, hot streaks spurting down it. Hiccup swallowed as much as he could, but some escaped and dribbled down Dagur's length. Pulling away, Hiccup gasped for some much needed air before licking the excess from around his mouth and Dagur's flagging erection, not leaving a drop of come to soil the redhead's briefs.

"Woo, that was incredible," Dagur panted, swallowing thickly as he let his head fall back against the chair.

"Must not have been that good if you're using big words," Hiccup joked as he stood up, knees popping and legs wobbling from the amount of time he spent down on them.

Dagur huffed out a light laugh and rubbed a hand down his face. "Allow me to return he favor."

"Please." Hiccup moved until he was leaning back against the desk and widened his stance, hands clutching the fake wood on either side of him.

Dagur smirked as he stood up and pulled his briefs and pants up, tucking himself back in. Once back in order, he moved down to his knees in front of Hiccup and began the process of pulling the auburn from his pants, but didn't bother pulling them down to his feet; bunching them around Hiccup's thighs. Hiccup's cock bounced up once freed before hanging heavily in front of Dagur's face. The redhead's cheeks flushed as his eyes filled with excitement at what he was about to do and leaned forward while grabbing a hold of Hiccup to lick a hot strip up the auburn's length, lathering his dick with his tongue before taking Hiccup into his mouth.

Hiccup moaned and placed a hand over Dagur's head to grip his hair, watching the other with half lidded eyes. Hiccup was already close to the edge before Dagur begun so it didn't take much before Hiccup was coming in the other's mouth. But during that short time, the auburn learned that Dagur couldn't take him in his throat for very long before he started gagging and had to use his hand where his mouth wouldn't reach. It didn't mean he was any less amazing, no, Dagur was still very much talented, specifically his tongue, and it in turn had been the best blow job Hiccup ever had. Though, he was saddened to see Dagur grimace at the taste of his come and spit it into the trashcan when he was able to. It didn't dampen the afterglow, however.

"Was that acceptable?" Dagur murmured after standing up and kissing Hiccup softly.

"More than. That was amazing," Hiccup whispered back against his lips, still trying to catch his breath. He pressed in for another kiss and opened his mouth to slip his tongue inside Dagur's, tasting himself. "It's going to make the wait until tonight feel like forever."

Dagur gave a confused brow lift and raised his eyes in thought before asking, "what's happening tonight?"

Trying very hard not to make a 'are you serious?' look, Hiccup waggled his eyebrows and thrust his hips into the other's while grinning sensually.

"Oh... Oh! I see. Yes, after what we just did, the wait is going to feel very long indeed." By the look on Dagur's face, Hiccup could tell he was embarrassed by his initial lack of understanding. "Should we make this a whole thing? Dinner? Wine? Then bedroom?"

Hiccup shook his head before leaning up to kiss his way up to Dagur's ear. "Nope. I want you over as soon as you're done and I want you to show me what other skills you have." He bit the lobe and giggled when the redhead shuddered.

"You're such a tease," Dagur grumbled heatedly. "How am I supposed to concentrate?"

Hiccup shrugged as he pulled away and straightened himself, pulling his briefs then pants back up. "Maybe I want you to be distracted for the rest of the day. Maybe I want you yearning for me. You do tend to become rough and insatiable when you're very horny and I very much like that."

"Oooh, you're definitely going to feel it tomorrow after I'm done with you tonight."

"Looking forward to it." Hiccup gave Dagur one last kiss and smiled softly. "I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too." Dagur was a bit reluctant on letting Hiccup go, but he moved back so the auburn could head out. "Want me to bring some dinner?"

Hiccup paused by the office door and thought a moment. "No, I don't want to waste any time when you come over. If we're hungry later, I have plenty of snacks."

Dagur nodded and grinned widely. "Walk you out?"

"Please."

Dagur opened the door and followed Hiccup out before moving to his side so he could grab the auburn's hand during the short walk. Once at the locked entrance, they turned towards each other and gave a lingering goodbye kiss, both not quite ready for Hiccup to leave. But Dagur's lunch break was almost over and Hiccup still had work he had to do himself. So with a few more pecks and tongue swipes, Hiccup finally pulled away and allowed Dagur to unlock and open the door for him, closing it behind him after one last goodbye. A patiently waiting costumer had seen the whole kiss exchange through the glass door and was now blushing brightly when Hiccup came through, eyes wide and lips pursed. 

Hiccup's own eyes widened as well when he saw the youngish looking man and quickly made his way down the sidewalk while keeping his head down out of embarrassment.

...

Dagur's visit could not come soon enough. Hiccup found himself unable to sit still long enough to get any proper work done and for once he was glad for the lull in work load so he could spread it out for the next few days. He paced, cleaned, arranged, went for a walk, before finally settling down for a bath to wash himself (everywhere *wink wink*). He sat in the tub until the water became cold before finally slipping out and dressed in a robe, wondering if he should dress in something nice. He shook his head immediately after the thought as there was no need to put in the effort as they would get down to business as soon as Dagur arrived. Hiccup would feel like an ass though if Dagur did and hoped the other didn't for the sake of saving the auburn from guilt.

Nerves filled him, something rediculous as they had seen each other naked before and done plenty sexual wise, but now that they were finally going to connect in *that* way made him nervous. What if he didn't preform properly and ruined the moment by saying or doing something stupid? What if Hiccup were to freeze during the process due to his anxiety getting out of control? There was this feeling that something bad was going to happen tonight and he couldn't put a finger on what it could be. He received no call or text from Dagur other than quick 'I love you's, 'miss you already', 'can't wait for tonight' messages that would suggest something was wrong and Hiccup cursed his imagination for trying to wreck havoc on his good mood.

Hiccup paced a while more once in his robe, only stopping a few times to drink several glasses of water and a bottle of beer to calm himself. His mood kept switching from excitement to worry the later it got and he hoped he wouldn't mentally exhaust himself before Dagur arrived and ruin their evening. For a moment, Hiccup was glad he didn't have the bad habit of bitting his nails when nervous, otherwise they would be nothing but bloody nubs by then. He was about to grab another glass of water when there was a knock on the door and he almost dropped the glass in surprise, heart racing at the person who could be standing behind the door.

Setting the cup down, Hiccup quickly made his way to the door and opened it in false calmness, smiling widely at the redhead on the other side; no feline to be seen.

Dagur had a bright smile of his own and holding a small bouquet of roses to which he held out to Hiccup with a small, "hello."

"Hi," Hiccup whispered back as he took the flowers shyly, moving aside to allow the other in. As Dagur moved past him, he allowed himself to sigh in relief when he noticed that the redhead was only dressed in a pair of baggy shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops with his face freshly shaved being the only thing he put effort into.

Dagur faced him a few feet away and waited for Hiccup to close the door before pressing him up against it from behind, crushing the flowers between the auburn's body and door while kissing Hiccup's neck with an open mouth. Hiccup gasped as he tilted his head to the side, wanting more. Whatever nerves he held vanished with each press of lips against his skin and was glad that they were getting right into it rather than talk about it. A large hand traveled down from his ribs to his hip, the other moving down to cup Hiccup through his robe. The auburn pushed his ass back into Dagur and groaned when he felt the hardening cock press back.

"Hiccup," Dagur groaned into Hiccup's neck, almost sounding like a beg, "bedroom, please. I need to see you naked and touch you."

Hiccup moaned in response and slipped away, grabbing Dagur's hand to pull him to the bedroom. Once inside, Hiccup set the flowers down in his dresser while the other carefully untied the knot that held Hiccup's robe closed and brought his hands to press against his chest. Dagur slowly slid his hands up Hiccup's chest and to his shoulders before sliding them down his arms to slip the robe off, letting it drop to the floor on its' own. 

"May I undress you?" Hiccup asked in a whisper, breath picking up. 

"Course, that's half the fun," Dagur replied with a pleased grin, letting his arms drop to his sides.

Hiccup started with the other's shirt first, slipping his hands beneath the seam to touch Dagur's stomach before moving them up, the shirt bunching up around his wrists. Dagur raised his arms to help Hiccup remove his shirt, but he quickly lowered them and waited for the auburn to finish undressing him. Fingers curled over the elastic waistband of Dagur's shorts and Hiccup lowered it down until the article of clothing fell the rest of the way down to gather around the redhead's feet. Dagur stepped out of them and removed his feet from his flip-flops, the two now standing there motionless and staring at the other. 

A look of uncertainty crept across Dagur's face and Hiccup feared the worst when the other opened his mouth.

"You are so fucking gorgeous," Dagur whispered in awe, finally allowing one hand to reach out and touch one of Hiccup's pecs with his finger tips. "There are so many things I want to do to you but don't know where to start. And there's so many things I want you to do to me that I can't make up my mind on what exactly I want to happen tonight." The fingers ran over a nipple, an index prodding it and making Hiccup gasp.

Oh. Oh! Oh fucking Odin's tits! Hiccup now understood Dagur's sudden uncertainty because it wasn't uncertainty, it was indecision. Dagur couldn't make up his mind on who would be taking who tonight and Hiccup found it endearing, becoming shy at the compliment. He grinned softly as he reached up to cup Dagur's cheeks and leaned in to kiss him gently, conveying his understanding by the soft press of lips.

"I'll be more than happy to take control tonight if that's what you want," Hiccup replied against Dagur's mouth.

"It is, but I also want to be inside of you right now too. I can't tell which one I want more."

Hiccup chuckled before moving away towards his dresser where a container of loose change resided and pulled out a quarter. "Heads, I fuck you. Tails, you fuck me. Sound ok?"

Dagur nodded in agreement, Hiccup's dirty mouth making him blush.

Hiccup placed the quarter on his thumb before flicking it up into the air, the coin flipping in the air. He easily caught it in his palm and covered it up before he got the chance to look at it, standing before Dagur once more. Upon removing his hand, both looked down to see the verdict. Tails. Hiccup held no qualms about that and smiled to let Dagur know the outcome was just fine with him.

"Looks like you're taking the brunt of the work tonight," Hiccup joked as he walked back until he was able to fall back onto his bed, taking a minute to take off his prosthetic. "Come my love, show me adour." He held his arms open for the redhead and giggled when Dagur jumped him, kissing him messily.

"I'll show you adour," Dagur murmured, pulling away from the quick kiss. "But do you want to snog some or just get right down to it?"

Hiccup snickered at the blunt question. "I want kissing first."

Dagur smirked and captured his mouth once more, this time more softly. Just a light press of lips. It still sent electricity through Hiccup and he groaned when Dagur rolled his hips down into him. A slick tongue prodded into his mouth and Hiccup gladly let it in, moving his own tongue to play with it. The auburn wrapped his arms around Dagur's shoulders while the redhead held himself up on his elbows, the room filling with heavy breathing and wet smacks of mouths breaking apart and coming back together. Kissing Dagur was something Hiccup would never get tired of.

Dagur kissed down his jaw to his neck, planting a few open mouthed ones before settling on the junction where jaw met neck just below the ear. The redhead lavished that lovely area with his tongue before nipping at it, sucking and scraping his teeth to leave a mark that Hiccup was sure was going to take a while to fade. Hiccup gripped Dagur's back and cursed as pleasurable shivers tingled up and down his spine, goosebumps covering his skin. Those teeth gave one last bite before Dagur licked his way over to the other side of Hiccup's throat and gave the dip where shoulder met neck the same treatment, causing Hiccup's toes to curl.

Hiccup rocked his hips up to meet Dagur's and knew if they continued on like this, one or both of them were going to come a bit too soon. Most likely Hiccup if Dagur's mouth kept up the brilliant work to his neck. The auburn grabbed a hold of the other's head to move him back up to his lips and didn't hesitate to shove his tongue into Dagur's mouth. Dagur hummed in delight and easily pushed Hiccup's tongue back into his mouth with his own, mapping out the auburn's mouth much to Hiccup's pleasure. Having someone stick their tongue into your mouth should seem unsanitary and gross, and it would under different circumstances, but it felt good and delicious to Hiccup doing it with Dagur. And he wanted more.

Hiccup sucked on Dagur's tongue and moaned in want while wrapping his legs around the redhead's hips. He groaned in disappointment when Dagur pulled away from the kiss and opened his eyes to see Dagur staring down at him with so much love in his eyes that Hiccup blushed darkly by the gaze, suddenly feeling shy.

"Turn on your stomach. Please," Dagur said as he lifted himself into his hands and knees, giving Hiccup the room to move. "I want to worship that lovely back of yours."

Hiccup quirked half a grin and flipped over onto his belly, crossing his arms to rest his head on them. Dagur straddled his thighs, the weight not uncomfortable, and began to place delicate kisses across his shoulders, nipping here and there. The kisses started to become a little rougher and more open mouthed the lower he went, body sliding down and in between Hiccup's legs, until he reached the small of Hiccup's back where he began to worship the area, the action making Hiccup squirm as his body tingled. The attention was soon diverted to his left cheek where a soft bite was placed, making Hiccup jolt in surprised pleasure, then to the right. Another nip. Before they moved on down his left leg to his stump, lavishing it with his tongue and kissing the raised scarring that sent tingles up and down his leg. One last nip there and Dagur was making his way back up Hiccup's right leg. Then, finally, a kiss was placed where ass met back, a tongue teasing the top of Hiccup's crack.

Hiccup shot up to his elbows and looked over his shoulder with wide expectant eyes, praying that Dagur was going to do what he hoped he was going to do. He hadn't been rimmed in so long and he missed it. He gasped in anticipation when Dagur grabbed a cheek in each hand and pulled them apart so that Hiccup's hole was now easily accessible. The redhead paused in his menstruations to glance up at the other with a smirk, keeping Hiccup's gaze as Dagur lowered his head and licked a long strip from Hiccup's perineum and over his entrance.

Hiccup gasped out a groan and shut his eyes, toes curling. "Ooooh my gods..."

"Is this ok?" Dagur asked before giving another lick over his hole. 

Hiccup jerked his head in a nod. "Gods yes."

Dagur hummed in amusement as he lapped at Hiccup's hole, saliva dripping from his mouth to gather around his entrance. There was nothing tentative or experimental about Dagur's tongue as it toyed with Hiccup's ass, but it was certainly amazing and skillful in drawing out soft moans and pleased gasps from the auburn. Then the appendage dipped inside and a startled moan escaped Hiccup as his upper body fell back down onto the bed, ass shoving back into Dagur's face. The redhead buried his face in Hiccup's rump, trying to push his tongue in as deep as he could, and squirmed the slick muscle around much like a tentacle.

The feel of that tongue so deep inside him was deliciously wonderful and eye rolling, Dagur going all out with no hesitation. Then that tongue began to fuck him and Hiccup would later feel embarrassed about the sort of noises and profanity that came from his mouth. Hiccup's mouth went slack as he pressed his face into the bed to muffle himself, precome wetting the comforter below him. Spit now covered between his cheeks and undoubtedly Dagur's face as the redhead ate him out, the best Hiccup ever had. It was becoming a little unfair on how amazing Dagur was at anything sexual.

He whined when Dagur pulled away and looked over his shoulder in time to see the redhead climb back onto the bed while wiping the spit off his face and leaned over him to fish around the nightstand. Dagur made a quiet 'aha' and pulled out a tube of lube. Hiccup's heart raced in excitement at what was about to happen next and wiggled his bum, unable to keep still, while Dagur poured a fair amount on his fingers and over Hiccup's hole. Once again, Dagur sat down on his thighs and rubbed his slick fingers over Hiccup's relaxed hole. The first finger slipped in easily, a drawn out moan escaping from the auburn's mouth.

"Go ahead and put in another," Hiccup whispered after turning his face to the side so his voice wasn't muffled.

"You sure? I just put in the first one," Dagur pointed out with a worried frown.

"I'm sure. I'm ready." Hiccup pushed back against the finger. "I want you. I want to feel you inside of me already, feel you come in me. Please..."

Dagur swallowed loudly and jerked his head down once in a nod as a flush colored his cheeks and neck, gently probing a second finger into Hiccup. The auburn gasped that then formed into a small hiss, the stretch a bit uncomfortable. But it was fine. He told Dagur so when the redhead stilled at the noise. Slowly, Dagur moved his fingers inside Hiccup, searching and scissoring, relaxing the auburn's hole in order to take more. Dagur was careful and gentle in his stretching, making sure to bring Hiccup pleasure and help him loosen up. A small brush to his prostate punched out a startled gasp from him as he shoved his face down into his bed.

Hiccup heard the other let out a small noise of accomplishment and brushed over his prostate again. He bit the covers to stifle the embarrassing 'nng!' sound he made and gripped the bedding. The fingers spread him widely apart suddenly and a tongue made its' way inside along side them, making Hiccup's eyes cross and become half lidded. He hadn't noticed when Dagur had moved back down his body to sit between his legs again, but the angle made it better for Dagur to stick his tongue inside without hurting his back. The redhead became less gentle in his stretching as he began to really loosen Hiccup up for another finger, but made sure to attack the auburn's prostate enough to keep it pleasurable.

"Another, please more!" Hiccup gasped after spiting out the blanket from his mouth.

Dagur poured some more lube over Hiccup's entrance and carefully slipped in a third finger, the sting barely noticeable by the delicious feel of Dagur's tongue licking around Hiccup's stretched rim. The feel of three fingers inside him made him feel amazingly full and it was astoundingly good, exciting even. They were so close to finally joining that Hiccup was becoming impatient and he almost ordered Dagur to just take him already, but he's seen the size of Dagur. Two fingers was not enough and he was going to need a little more time on three if he wanted to take the redhead without long lasting pain.

The three digits moved gently, working on his prostate for a bit to relax the auburn before spreading apart. Hiccup almost groaned in discomfort when the fingers did that, thankful for the extra time on his prostate before then, and tried to make himself relax. The tongue on his ass helped a bit, the fingers moving over his prostate even more, and pleasure began to build itself up once again. The stretching started to feel good enough for Dagur to focus more on that and hurry along to the big finale, slipping his tongue inside a few times whenever Dagur widened him out.

Hiccup wasn't usually mouthy, holding back moans and muffling embarrassing noises, but never had he ever been with such a tentative lover who's sole purpose was to bring immense amount of pleasure to their bed mate. He couldn't help but be loud, not able to shove his face into his bed for very long before the need to breath became too much. And his hips wouldn't quit moving, wanting to shove Dagur's fingers and tongue deeper inside him. Drool wet the covers below his face as he was unable to keep his mouth closed long enough to swallow properly.

"Oooh gods, that... so good," Hiccup whined. "More. Give it to me, please Dagur. I need it. Fuck me. Make love to me. Do something to me! Please..."

Dagur pulled his face back, but did not remove his fingers. He kept up the motions of spreading him wide, loosening him up as much as possible. "Are you sure freckles?"

"Please, fuck yes. Give it to me." Hiccup was beyond horny and the need to feel the other inside him was becoming excruciating. He felt... drunk.

"Do you want to stay where you are or be on your back?"

It took a moment for Hiccup to properly think and was glad Dagur had finally pulled his fingers out while he waited for the auburn to make a decision. While he liked the thought of having Dagur draped over his back, covering him and holding him down, he wanted to see the other's face as they finally made love. Hiccup rolled onto his back and shifted a bit on the bed until there was enough room where Dagur wouldn't fall off the bed. It would be terrible if Dagur were to slip off the bed just before Hiccup came.

Hiccup spread his legs so Dagur could slip between them and ran his hands down the redhead's chest while Dagur grabbed the lube and slicked himself up. Dagur leaned over him with a hand beside Hiccup's head to hold himself up while the other reached down to hold the base of his cock and keep it steady as he moved his hips forward. The head slipped over Hiccup's entrance a few times, Dagur teasing him or giving him a chance to back out, the auburn wasn't sure, before finally pressing in. The tip slid in quite easily thanks to the copious amount of lube and diligent stretching and the feel of it had Hiccup choking out a gasp.

"Oh fuck," Dagur groaned, eyes closing as he pressed forward.

Hiccup's mouth went slack as Dagur filled him and wanted to close his eyes to better enjoy the feeling, but he wanted to watch the other's expressions as Dagur slid into him. Wanted to catch the pleased and victorious closed eyed look of finally being connected so intimately. It felt amazing, the earlier amount of stretching leaving no room for pain, only pleasure, as hips met. They sat there a moment, to catch their breath that suddenly left them and enjoy the intense heat radiating between them, before Dagur lowered himself so he could wrap his arms around Hiccup and hold him close. The auburn reciprocated, hands clinging to Dagur's back, and legs pressing close to the redhead's thighs; face shoved into Dagur's neck.

It wasn't going to last long, Hiccup could already tell just by how much his cock was dribbling precome and how tight his balls had become. He felt like he would come anyway even without Dagur moving, the heat and pulsing throb enough to drive him to the brink. But he needed to feel the other slide in and out of him, hit his prostate, and reach places fingers couldn't. Hiccup bucked his hips up as a signal for Dagur to move already and he complied with a gutteral moan.

Both groaned in delight as Dagur gave his first shallow thrust, the small pull and shove wonderful. The redhead started off slow and gentle, unrhythmic, but the noisier Hiccup became the more he sped up. However, the position they were in kept the thrusts shallow and as good as it felt, Hiccup wanted more.

"More," Hiccup begged breathlessly into Dagur's ear, nipping at the lobe. "Fuck me."

"Fucking-if you keep talking like that I'm gonna come before I'm ready," Dagur grumbled as he sat up on his knees, grabbing the back of Hiccup's thighs to settle his weight on them. "Want me to go fast right off the bat or work my way up to it?"

"Fast and hard, right now... please," Hiccup replied with a sensual smirk.

Dagur wiped that smirk off his face by pulling out and snapping back in roughly, forcing a surprised moan from Hiccup. "Fast and hard, you got it." 

Dagur started off at a brutal pace, now able to move his hips in a way that fit Hiccup's wants at the moment. He knew they should have gone slow and enjoy their first coupling, make proper love, but both it seemed were in a mood of desperation. Desperation for what, Hiccup was unsure. The need to come? Possibly. Hiccup was about to tip over the edge anyways. Or maybe he just wanted to feel Dagur spill inside him. That could be a possibility as well.

"Nnnng! Yesyesyes," Hiccup gasped out as he clung to the bedding, tossing his head back and relaxing his legs so Dagur could push them apart a bit more. "So good... fuck meee."

"You feel amazing Hiccup," Dagur groaned. "You're so tight, it's like you're sucking me in." 

Sweat made their skin glisten in the bedroom light, the slickness making Dagur's hands slide and forcing him to lean over Hiccup with his hands on either side of him. This new position made it easier to hit Hiccup's prostate and the auburn found himself grabbing onto Dagur to pull him down into a sloppy kiss. He wrapped his legs around Dagur's waist as he let his head fall back with a drawn out 'hn!' and felt his toes flex and curl a few times before clenching closed as he grew dangerously close to coming. 

Then Dagur's hips stuttered and he whimpered out, "Oh fuck," and came inside Hiccup, looking surprised by it.

The wet heat spilling inside him pushed Hiccup over the edge and his orgasm washed over him like a tsunami, little sounds being pushed out of him at the intensity of it. "Hn, fuck..."

Dagur gave a few weak thrusts to chase after his orgasm before stilling, holding himself up on shaking arms; both panting and quite exhausted. Dagur then slipped out with a sharp breath, Hiccup a small gasp, and the auburn felt the other's spent drip from his entrance. With a tired sigh, Dagur removed himself until he was able to lay down next to Hiccup and closed his eyes, both enjoying the afterglow.

"That was..." Dagur started, his panting interrupting him as he opened his eyes and turned his head to gaze at Hiccup.

"Amazing," Hiccup finished, returning the stare and smiling warmly. He turned onto his side and leaned down to kiss Dagur gently, just a light press of lips. "I love you."

Oh that smile. "I love you too," Dagur replied quietly.

More come dripped from Hiccup from the movement and he grimaced at the cooling spent on his ass. "I think I need a shower."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Carry me?"

Dagur snickered, about to indulge him, when a loud yowl at the front door alerted them. From the sounds of it, Toothless must have been there a while. With a sigh, Dagur easily picked up Hiccup and carried him to the bathroom, placing him on the toilet before making his way to the living room to open the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, please leave a comment or kudo to show the love!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm a bit unhappy with this chapter and no amount of rereading or editing it is making it better, so I'll just have to hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks for all the support you guys have shown, it really means a lot.

Tap.

Taptap.

Tap with a bit of claws. Another tap with tail swishing against an arm and tickling it.

"Go away Toothless," Hiccup mumbled as he blindly waved the cat away to get him to stop batting the side of his face. 

A loud yowl was the feline's response, making Hiccup wince and Dagur to sit up quickly, blearily looking around. Toothless meowed at Dagur and crossed over Hiccup's back to sit on the redhead's blanket covered lap, rubbing up under his chin. Dagur had closed his eyes and looked as if he was about to nod off, probably would have if Toothless' consistent meowing had ceased. Fed up and too tired, Dagur picked him up and placed him on the floor before curling up against Hiccup's side with a sigh. Apparently, this would not do and the feline jumped back up onto the bed to sit down on Hiccup's upper back, batting at his hair and biting at it a few times.

"For the love of-what do you want?" Hiccup grouched as he turned onto his back, effectively removing Toothless from the bed once more, and rubbed his eyes until he saw stars behind his lids.

The cat mewed and started towards the door, stopping and glancing back to make sure Hiccup would follow. Sighing heavily like he was about to do the hardest task of his life (getting out of bed), Hiccup sat up with a groan of discomfort and crawled to the edge of the bed to slip on his prosthetic. His ass felt like he had ridden his bike around the whole island several times and the muscles in his upper thighs cramped up as soon as he started walking. He limped his way after the cat and followed him to the bathroom, making a noise of annoyance when Toothless sat in front of his bowl. Grumbling, Hiccup filled his food bowl and gave him fresh water before toddling off back to bed, laying back down on his stomach.

He had just started to doze off when the sound of knocking on the front door interupted him. Hiccup sat up just enough to glance at his clock and saw that it was seven in the morning, the knocking persistent with no sign of stopping. Not wanting to wake his neighbors and have a very angry person standing outside his door, Hiccup got out of bed once more with another groan and grabbed his robe on the way out, tying it closed. Just as he opened the door, he opened his mouth to tell whoever was ruining his morning off, but then quickly shut it at who was standing there. His eyes widened at the sight of a dreadlocked blond, blue eyed man before him.

"Tuffnut?" Hiccup gaped in surprise.

"Hello my dear Hiccup, our fearless pack leader, the wondrous computer geek of all time," the blond replied with a giant grin before pulling Hiccup into a bone crushing hug.

"What are you doing here?" Hiccup asked through a gasp, weezing. He took in a deep breath when he was let go and was pushed aside so Tuffnut could enter. He closed the door and followed after the other into the living room.

"I have very important news to share with you and it coincided with my visit to Berk so I wanted to tell you in person instead of over the phone," Tuff replied as he slumped down onto the couch, rubbing a hand over the material with an agreeable nod.

"Ok... what time did you get in?" Hiccup stayed standing, but had moved to stand in front of the other across the coffee table.

"Just now, actually."

"You mean you came straight over here as soon as the boat docked?" Hiccup asked incredulously, furrowing his brows in disbelief.

"Yup."

Hiccup rubbed a hand over his face with a sigh. "Shouldn't you have gone to your parents and gotten some rest before coming here?"

"I'm too excited and pumped up for sleep. Besides, it wasn't that long of a trip and my parents turned me and my sister's bedroom into a doll space for mom." Tuffnut shivered in horror, not bothering to hide what he thought of that.

Hiccup agreed with him and shivered himself. "Don't tell me you need a place to stay."

"Au contraire troop leader, I'm staying at a lodge for the time being... unless-"

"No," Hiccup quickly interrupted. "I need coffee before we discuss anything more and no you can't have any. I'm not going to entertain you while you're hopped up on caffeine." He carefully made his way to the kitchen to start brewing some, leaning against the counter tiredly as he waited.

"Couldn't help but notice the limp and the bags under you eyes there Hiccy," Tuffnut said while pretending to look uninterested, checking out his finger nails. "Had a late night?" He looked rather smug then as he turned his gaze towards the auburn.

Hiccup responded with a death filled glare before turning away to grab a mug and the few essentials he planned in putting in his coffee. With a yawn, he made his cup of java before sitting down next to Tuffnut, holding up a finger when the blond opened his mouth to talk and took a long, noisy sip. He swallowed loudly and sighed. "What was the important thing you had to tell me so early in the morning?"

"Important-oh! Yes, that. I'm hosting a charity for the Clarence Group Home for Boys back in Annika." Tuff was vibrating with excitement that Hiccup thought a rocket might go off beneath the blond at any moment and propel him through the roof.

Ok, important, but not important enough to warrant a social visit before Tuffnut even saw his parents. The blond wasn't done, though, it seemed.

"And guess who's who going to run it with me?" Tuff's eyes were wide and sparkled as stared at Hiccup, waiting for his answer.

Hiccup shrugged and took another gulp, hoping it wasn't him.

"I can't just tell you, you're supposed to guess. That's the whole point of telling someone to guess." Tuffnut looked put out that Hiccup wouldn't play along, but it didn't last very long as he continued. "It's Johann. I'm going to be working with Johann." He let out a small squeal while clapping his hands rapidly for a short moment.

Hiccup thought for a few seconds with his cup settled beneath his bottom lip as he tried to remember where he's heard that name before. "Wait, you mean trader Johann, the richest guy in the archapealago?" Now that seemed a bit more important, but still not enough to wake him up so early after the night he had.

"You don't seem impressed..."

"I would be if you had waited to tell me at a decent hour and over the phone," Hiccup murmured over the rim of his cup, staring blankly at the TV. "I'm too tired to care right now."

The bedroom door opened with a creak and footsteps could be heard making their way down the hallway until a just as tired, *very naked*, Dagur waltzed out. Tuffnut's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head while his eyebrows rose high in his forehead and his mouth gaped open like a fish. The redhead slouched past them to the kitchen, making his own cup of coffee, and blinded to the fact that Hiccup wasn't alone. When Dagur turned around with mug in hand, looking more awake just by the smell of the dark liquid, he froze in his tracks at the sight of the newcomer. The sudden intake of breath from Tuff seemed to do the trick of restarting Dagur's brain and forced him to set the cup down so he could grab the rag sitting next to the sink and cover up his cock. Without a word, the redhead slinked back to the bedroom to get dressed.

"Oh. My. Thor." The cat (or nut) caught the mouse *and* had the cream it seemed. "He looks so much better in person. That hair, those tattoos, and that bod." The blond's hands waved down in front of him as if shaping a body before fanning himself, bright red in the face.

"Down boy," Hiccup returned, a small flush of embarrassment on his own cheeks, eyes pointedly not looking at his friend.

"Bravo, Hiccup, bravo," Tuffnut applauded. "Hats off to you good sir for finding someone like that." He tipped an invisible hat.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, but smiled and preened at the compliment. "He is quite handsome."

"Quite."

"I hope you two haven't been gossiping about me like a couple of old ladies," Dagur grumbled as he walked out of the hallway, fully clothed in a pair of Hiccup's baggy sweats and shirt, and carrying Toothless, who was licking his chops. He looked annoyed and very red in the cheeks.

"Not as much as I would like, but it doesn't matter since the subject of said gossip is right in front of me," Tuffnut replied. He stood up before bowing gracefully as he said, "I am Tuffnut Lavern Thorston and I demand to know all the juicy detail of you two's relationship."

Toothless raised his head at the sound of the blond's voice, but did not move from Dagur's arms to greet him; very much happy where he was. Dagur, however, had raised an eyebrow and was giving Tuff a once over before glancing over towards Hiccup for a little help.

"Tuff, no," Hiccup simply said, but it was enough.

"Oh fine, you're no fun," Tuffnut mumbled, placated for now. "Could you at least flex an arm or something?"

"You mean like this?" Dagur asked, genuine, as he held Toothless in one arm while the other raised up to flex a bicep.

Tuff was suddenly beside the other with his hands wrapped around Dagur's arm and rubbing a cheek against the bulge half hidden beneath his shirt. "It's so beautiful..." the blond whispered, eyes shining.

"Uuuh." Dagur's eyes widened in horror at what was being done to him as he stared at his boyfriend, jerking his head to Tuffnut in a motion for Hiccup to do something.

"Tuff," Hiccup warned, dragging out the vowel in the blond's name. He could only hope he did a well enough job keeping the look and sound of amusement hidden beneath a complexion of seriousness. "Do let go of my boyfriend before I get the wrong idea and boot you out." He took a delicate sip from his cup to add some effect even though it was now empty.

Tuffnut quickly dropped Dagur's arm with a nervous grin and stepped backwards until he could sit back down on the couch once more. "Wouldn't dream of taking your man. Besides, I've got my own little hottie back home. She's quite the firecracker."

The couple both raised their eyebrows at this, Hiccup because this was news to him and Dagur because after that display, he was suspecting the so called hottie to be... not a she. Hiccup couldn't blame him since Tuffnut was rather flamboyant and often came off as gay. Though it wasn't completely false since the blond was bi, or more pansexual honestly, but his actions tended to confuse people who didn't know him. Tuffnut had a flare to him that often times went unappreciated and hid the genius mind inside that thick skull, surprising many when he let it slip. Despite how foolish he seemed, he was rather gifted and had a very soft heart that often lead to heartbreak. But he still had the ability to smile genuinely even at strangers.

"Her name's Macy and she teaches jujitsu. Maybe you'll meet her at the charity next month... I mean if you accept my invitation." Tuffnut's eyes shone with hope that Hiccup couldn't possibly say no, not that he wanted to.

"Of course *we'll* come," Hiccup accepted as he set down his cup on the coffee table.

"Wait. We? Charity? Did I miss something important?" Dagur asked with furrowed brows.

"Tuff's throwing a charity ball or whatever for the Clarence Group Home for Boys and Johann is going to help him with it," Hiccup explained. He adjusted his seating until his side was curled up against the armrest with his feet tucked against him, elbow sitting on the armrest. 

Dagur's eyebrows rose high up his forehead as disbelief crossed his face. "You mean the multimillionaire Johann whatshisface is actually showing interest in something that doesn't involve advanced technology? What kind of drug or hypnosis did you use on him?"

"Surprisingly none, though I had not thought of inviting him let alone help me host the event to begin with." Tuffnut shrugged. He raised his feet to place them on the coffee table, the dirt from shoes dirtying the surface. Hiccup made quick work of shoving them off. "I actually just posted the event on my Instagram, expecting just a small gathering of people willing to help, but then it went viral and he contacted me. He found another revenue for us to use for the party and contributed more than his fair share to make it spectacular. Said he and his brother grew up there, that it was a good place for wayward boys who could use a little more money."

"Well that makes a little more sense," Dagur murmured, mostly to himself. "Well, it sounds like it's gonna be grand so count us in for sure. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get ready for work; I have stocking and bills to review before the shop opens."

Hiccup nodded and flushed a little when Dagur made his way to him to dump the cat on him and give him a quick peck on the lips, ignoring the girlish aww Tuff made. Dagur left the room and went to the bathroom, the shower starting up much to Hiccup's confusion; they just had a shower last night and it was cool enough that they didn't sweat enough to require another shower already. He shrugged it off and turned his attention back to Tuffnut, who look about ready to explode from bouts of happiness, radiating with it.

"So you guys are really going to come?" Tuffnut asked excitedly.

"This seems very important to you, so of course we're going to come," Hiccup answered as he stood up and plopped Toothless onto Tuff before wondering over towards the kitchen where Dagur's coffee sat, still warm. Eh, might as well drink it and not let it go to waste. "Hungry?"

"Thanks and yes, I feel like I hardly ate anything for days." Tuffnut began to absentmindedly let the feline, who did not mind one bit about being placed on Tuff's lap and started to purr, make himself comfortable.

"You don't eat anything. You eat like a bean then you're done," Hiccup quoted, adding the Scottish accent since he did it so well. He grinned when Tuff understood the reference and laughed. "Would you like something more than a bean?"

"Anything's fine. As long as it doesn't have bacon bits. I've been having quite the conundrum with them as of late and feel as if they're mocking me whenever I eat them."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't question it. He knew he wouldn't understand the answer either no matter how detailed Tuffnut explained it. "Does an over easy egg on toast sound good?"

"Oh man, add in a glass of iced milk and you've got yourself a pleased nut."

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder with confused, narrow eyes to see if Tuffnut was being serious with the iced milk. Seeing the look of innocence in reply, he knew Tuff wasn't making a joke. "Ooook."

"Oh! And shredded yak cheese. Can't forget the cheese."

"Don't have any of that right now, cow cheese is going to have to suffice for today." He hated anything yak just as much as he hated anything from a goat. Goat cheese, yuck.

"Maan, fine."

Hiccup went about making breakfast after fixing up his second cup of coffee, giving himself the messed up egg that ended up being scrambled while giving Tuff the over easy one. After a little shake of salt and pepper with some cheese sprinkled on top, he was carrying two plates into the living room. He handed Tuffnut his after the blond set the cat aside and the feline sat down next to him, Hiccup placing his own plate on the coffee table. He heard the shower turn off and Dagur was quick to move from the bathroom to the bedroom as the auburn filled a glass with ice and milk, expecting Dagur to be out soon. Tuffnut thanked Hiccup enthusiastically and dug in messily, luckily keeping it on his plate and face rather than the couch.

"Mmm! You may not be a chef, but at least you're pretty good at a few simple things," Tuffnut said around a mouthful of food, spraying crumbs.

Hiccup made a noise of disgust and frowned at the food bits on the couch and floor. "Thanks... So tell more about this charity thing."

"Well, it's going to be more like a black tie party with an auction at the end. Johann suggested I showcase some of my art and then sell them to the highest bidder. All the funds I make off of them will go to the group home along with whatever donations people are willing to give."

"Why the group home?"

"Hm?"

"Why do all this for a group home? There must be some significance to it."

Tuffnut nodded in agreement, looking a little more sullen as he took another bite of his toast; swallowing thickly. "And significance there is. A year ago I got my first fan mail from a child, a young eight year old boy who very much admired my creativity where others have not. I wanted to meet this young lad and looked up the address on the envelope. Then I took the first boat out and popped in to surprise him. When I saw him for the first time, my heart broke in two like a clam being ripped open. Young Angelo was terminally ill, confined to a wheelchair with barely a year to live."

Hiccup felt his throat close up as he watched his friend do his best to hold back tears. "You showing up must have been the best day ever."

"More than either of us could imagine. He was an artist too and showed me some of his drawings. They were so cute and I kept the sketch book he gave to me before he died. After he passed away a few months later, I painted a mural in the main building in memory of him." Tuffnut picked at his food as he spoke, his milk becoming watery from the ice melting.

"The charity is for him."

"Yeah. The people who took care of him and the rest of the children were very nice, but they don't get enough funds to properly run it. I think they're one paycheck away from losing the place and then where will the kids go? I can't let them be dragged to another place, no matter how funded they are, where the helpers could be mean."

Hiccup shuffled a little closer to Tuff and set a comforting hand on his shoulder, proud of his friend's big heart. "You're a good person Tuff, don't ever doubt that."

"Never have except for the one time."

"So humble," Hiccup snickered, moving back into his space.

"Always am! Now, onto more happier things! I know you said no about going into detail about you guy's relationship, but you've got to tell me how you met and all that cheesy romantic stuff."

Hiccup didn't think it would hurt and told Tuff how it all began, explaining the reasons on why it took so long for them to get together, but left out the gang bit since that wasn't his story to tell. Tuffnut was enraptured with the tale, brimming with happiness towards the end after a quick bout of shocked sadness when Hiccup talked about the fight he and Dagur had. When he finished, Tuff had eaten his food, drank his milk, and curled his knees into his chest as he sat back against the armrest.

"Oh my, my, my, that is quite the love story," Tuffnut said once Hiccup had finished. "You should tell it to Snotlout and have him turn it into a novel or something. Replacing the names of course for safety reasons."

"Nah, he'd make it too Hollywoody and it'll lose it's unique flavor," Hiccup replied, his own plate set down on the coffee table next to Tuff's. "And he'll probably change one of our genders, or possibly both, to make himself more comfortable in writing a watered down sex scene."

Tuff pointed a finger at Hiccup and nodded. "That is true and the flavor really is quite unique. Don't want to lose that."

"Speaking of Snotlout, he just moved in downstairs the other day. Maybe he could use your company. He lives in 1C." Hiccup hid the mischievous grin he oh so wanted to make right now in cleverly persuading Tuffnut to leave without outright telling him to. Dagur had yet to leave the bedroom and the auburn believed it was due to the blond's presence; probably didn't want to deal with Tuff's oddness so early in the morning.

"Ooh, that's a good idea. Probably meet the fabulous Minden who was able to harness the Snot's undivided attention." Idea successfully planted and agreeable, Tuff stood up from the couch, leaving dirt from where his shoes had sat, and whisked himself over towards the door, much like the white witch from Alice in Wonderland. "Audious my pack leader. Until we meet again." He paused by the door to bow at the auburn before making a quick exit with barely a sound.

Hiccup snorted in amusement from the other's antics as he proceeded to wipe the dirt and crumbs off his couch. "You can come out now, he's gone!" He heard the door open, followed by footsteps, but didn't look up as he continued to swipe the mess onto the floor that he would sweep up later

"Well he's quite the character," Dagur said from the opening of the hallway, not moving in any further.

"Yup, but also exceedingly smart," Hiccup replied as he gave one last swipe before turning his gaze up to his boyfriend, freezing when he did so. His eyes widened as his mouth gaped open at the glorious sight of his naked boyfriend leaning against the wall, cock full and dripping. "Wha-?"

"For a minute there I thought I was going to have to embarrass myself again by coming out here like this to kick him out so I could have my way with you." Dagur smirked as he sauntered over towards Hiccup, tube of lube in hand. "Or you have your way with me this time."

"Uh." Hiccup was at a loss for words, but his prick had no qualms in hardening beneath his robe, tenting it.

"How would you feel about me riding you, right here, on the couch?"

"........."

"Don't think too hard about it." Dagur leaned over once in front of Hiccup and plucked at the knot on his robe with a hooked finger. It gave way after just one quick tug and Dagur went straight to work on pushing aside the cumbersome material that hid Hiccup's body. "Hmm, looks like someone doesn't seem to mind." He poked the tip of Hiccup's cock, causing it to jump. "Less work for me."

Dagur straddled Hiccup's thighs, setting his weight on them, as he moved forward to kiss the auburn. Hiccup was quick to reciprocate and grabbed hold of Dagur's strong, flexing thighs. Mouths clashed and bit in a small sloppy battle, trying to win the right in invading the other's cavern, but Dagur proved to be more than a worthy opponent in the end. Hiccup gasped and let his lips open wide enough to allow the redhead's tongue entrance, playing with it with his own. Then Dagur ground down against Hiccup, their pricks brushing together deliciously and making them moan in each other's mouth.

Dagur pulled away, however, when Hiccup reached for the lube so he could get started on preparing the redhead. "Already got myself ready while you were busy entertaining your guest," he whispered into Hiccup's ear, giving the outer edge of it a long swipe of his tongue.

"Hn!" Hiccup's hips jumped up into Dagur's at the other's words, pleasantly surprised even though stretching out a partner was half the fun. It didn't matter now, the redhead was here, ready, and waiting. "Could..." He blushed deeply.

"Yeesss? Tell me what you want." Dagur prodded a pert nipple, making Hiccup gasp.

"Could you... lay down on you stomach in a baby cobra pose?" Hiccup didn't know where his confidence had gone, but right now he was blushing from both embarrassment and desire as he asked this.

An eyebrow quirked at the question as a pleased smirk grew on his lips, probably remembering the first time Dagur laid in that position. "Anything you want freckles." Dagur removed himself from Hiccup's lap and walked around the coffee table to lay down on his stomach in front of it. He then pushed his upper body up onto his elbows and gave his ass a little wiggle. "What are you waiting for? Come and bass me already."

Hiccup snorted out a small laugh as he stood up, letting his robe fall away from his body and onto the couch. "I knew I shouldn't have shown you that song..."

"B-b-b-b bass me baby, b-b-b-b bass me baby, baaaass meeee! T-t-t take me baby, taste me baby, baaaaasss meeee!" Dagur sang (more like wailed), not even trying, but it still sounded better than if Hiccup, who would be trying, were to sing.

Hiccup snickered as he settled over the other, pressing a kiss to a shoulder. "Quiet you, your caterwauling is spoiling the mood."

"Then fuck me already." Dagur chuckled over his shoulder and bucked his ass up to rub against Hiccup's prick, biting his lip and groaning.

When Hiccup's cock slid in between the other's cheeks, he could feel the residual lube on Dagur's hole and moaned at the thought of the other fingering himself in the shower or bedroom. Or both. It sent shivers down his body and he filed it away to later ask Dagur for a show sometime as the redhead finally handed the auburn the lube. Hiccup made quick work in slicking himself up before moving his knees between Dagur's legs, forcing them to open wider while using one hand to hold himself up and the other to hold his prick still. Hiccup nudged his cock against Dagur's tight ring of muscle and slowly edged his way in, sliding in quite easily. They both gasped when he entered and Hiccup didn't stop until his hips met Dagur's ass, tight and glorious around him.

"Oh Hiccup, you feel amazing," Dagur groaned as he let his head hang forward, baring the back of his neck prettily. The flush coloring down his neck and shoulders showcased his tattoos beautifully and Hiccup couldn't help but nip at one ink covered shoulder.

Fully in, Hiccup let his other hand move to the floor to help brace his weight over the redhead and sat there to enjoy Dagur a little longer, because if he were to move now he was sure to come embarrassingly quick. And that was not happening if he could help it. He didn't want to seem like an unskillful lover or unable to bring Dagur off properly, hence the staying still until he had calmed down enough. Plus, he didn't want to hurt the redhead by getting ahead of himself. Dagur, it seemed, did not feel the same way as he had suddenly pushed his ass back into Hiccup and forced the auburn to delve in a bit deeper. Hiccup's hips thrust forward instinctively before he could stop it and gasped at the feeling, closing his eyes for a second to try and bring himself back under control. But the rest of him had had enough waiting and began to give tiny thrusts, hardly slipping out before pushing back in.

Dagur cursed in delight at the movement and tried his best to meet thrust for thrust, lifting his head to tilt it back. "Yesss, there. Oh Hiccup, you're hitting that spot just right. It feels like mini orgasms every time you hit it."

Hiccup leant forward until his forehead brushed against Dagur's back, sliding out just a bit more with each thrust and quickening his pace. Due to their position, Hiccup wasn't able to go all out as he was wanting to do and it kept the coupling gentler than it was last night, but he was unwilling to change position as being able to see the redhead like this was marvelous. Being able to see the muscles ripple beneath scarred and tattooed flesh, see the way Dagur's ass bounced with each push inside, and see that the blush in his neck and shoulders grow darker. And the sounds Dagur made, it was unlike anything Hiccup ever heard. And the way he spoke,

"Oh yes, please, take me harder."

Glorious.

Dagur pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, pressing his back up against Hiccup's chest, and tilted his head to the side to kiss the auburn. Hiccup wrapped an arm around the other's shoulders as they kissed and rested some of his weight onto Dagur, trusting him to hold them up. When the kiss broke, Dagur let his head fall back until it brushed against Hiccup's shoulder, gasping and writhing beneath him. Both were close, Hiccup could tell just by the way Dagur was tightening around him as his voice became louder and more vocal. Plus the redhead uttered it several times.

Then Dagur came with a growl that soon morphed into a panting whine, clenching around Hiccup almost painfully. The auburn soon followed after a few more quick thrusts and came inside Dagur with a silent shout, his hips jerking a few times as he rode it out. The two fell to the floor gracelessly, Hiccup on top of Dagur, panting and savoring the afterglow of the amazing coupling. It felt too quick, but Hiccup still enjoyed it and wouldn't mind going another round as soon as he was up for it. Dagur did not have the same idea, however, as he rolled onto his side, forcing Hiccup off him and pulled away so the auburn could slip out with a wet sound. Dagur groaned at the feeling, groaning even more as he rolled onto his other side so he could face Hiccup.

"That was perfect," Dagur murmured as he leaned into Hiccup's space to plant a small kiss onto his lips. 

"Your ass is a wonder all on its' own," Hiccup replied, making them giggle. 

"Well thank you. Your cock isn't half bad either. I wouldn't mind having that in me again when we have more time. Shit." Dagur sat up with a hiss and grabbed Hiccup's phone to see the time. "Damn, I gotta get going."

"Shower?" A third in two days might be pushing it.

"No, there's no time. I'll just wipe myself clean with a rag and make do."

Hiccup sat up as Dagur walked into the kitchen, sperm running down his thigh. The auburn gulped at the sight and for a moment wondered if Dagur would mind if he cleaned up the other with his tongue. Hiccup shook the thought away quickly before he could harden once more and stood up, slipping his robe back on but leaving it open. He watched Dagur wet a rag and began to wipe himself down, cleaning away the evidence of their... bassing. That wouldn't do, he would have to fix that tonight when Dagur came home... No, not his home. At least, not yet. It could be if Dagur wanted it to.

"I know we've been romantically involved for such a short time, but... do you want to move in with me?" Hiccup asked before he could change his mind or lose the confidence to ask about it later.

Dagur's reaction was... surprisingly calm despite the sudden, and quite serious, question. That didn't mean he wasn't smiling, which he was. Quite brilliantly actually. But his voice was steady and calm with a hint of joy to it as he replied, "I would love to. Very much so. Pretty much already have been living here anyways, so might as well make it official by clogging up your drawers and closets with my stuff."

Hiccup's heart beat quickened in pleasant surprise and returned the smile with large one of his own. "Excellent. I'll come by after work and help you pack."

That gave Dagur pause, surprised but not out of discomfort. He went back to cleaning himself as he thought before shrugging, coming to a decision as he finished. "Sure. I don't have a lot of stuff anways and any extra furniture that won't fit can either be sold or put away in storage. But I'll save that part for later."

"Good. Now go put that in the laundry basket and get dressed. I'll bring lunch later."

"Yes sir." 

Hiccup slapped a hand against Dagur's bottom when the redhead passed him, making him jump in surprise and giggle madly while waving the auburn's hand away. The glint in his eyes told Hiccup to be prepared for a retaliation later as he finished his trek to the bedroom and Hiccup chuckled at what it could be, actually looking forward to it. As Dagur got dressed, Hiccup cleaned up the kitchen, feeling guilty for a second about not fixing anything for Dagur for breakfast before toasting a bagel for the other to eat on the way to the shop. He was just slathering on some cream cheese and raspberry jam on the slices when Dagur walked out into the living room dressed in yesterday's clothes.

Before Hiccup could pick up the bagel to hand them to Dagur, the redhead suddenly pressed up behind him with his mouth attacking the auburn's neck while his hands wondered down from his chest to his stomach. Hiccup jumped in surprise at the sudden act and dropped the butter knife onto the counter as his head tilted to the side unconsciously to allow Dagur more room. A hand moved away as well as his mouth before the appendage came back wet with spit and moved down until it was able to grip Hiccup's prick, that sinful mouth biting an earlobe. The auburn's cock began to fill and rise up as Dagur's hand started a quick pace, sliding a thumb over the tip a few times and spreading the precome beginning to gather there.

Hiccup was surprised at how fast he had hardened and so soon, even more so when he felt his completion coming upon him-only for Dagur to suddenly pull away and grab the bagel.

"Thanks freckles, I'll see you at lunch. Love you!" And just like that, Dagur was gone, door slamming behind him as Hiccup fell to his knees as they felt too much like jello.

It took a moment to realize what just happened and then it clicked; revenge was served. Motherfucker!

...

Hiccup was unsure at what he was looking at, staring down at his phone at a text Dagur had sent him. Well he knew what he was looking at, it was a cat laying in the bathroom sink of the redhead's living space above the shop. After twenty minutes and one quick jerk off, he suddenly got the text with the picture and the reason why he had to jerk off disappeared. The feline was rather beautiful with short, but fluffy, light gray fur and amber colored eyes; its' face in between pointed and flat, making it look rounder. The question now was why. The answer soon came with another text saying,

*Found this little shit when I went to freshen up. Scared me half to death! He's not my cat*-D

*I left my window open last night and I guess he climbed in. Made himself at home* -D

Hiccup snickered as he typed back. *Does he have a collar? He doesn't look familiar.*-H

*Nope. Should I make posters or something now? Or ask whoever comes into the shop if they recognize the cat?*-D

*Probably wise. If no one claims him what are you going to do?*-H

*I don't know. Keep him I guess, he's kinda growing on me.*-D

*He's got short little legs.* -D. Added smiley face with hearts for eyes.

Ah, a munchkin, something Hiccup hasn't seen in Berk yet. *If you do end up keeping him, what are you going to name him?*-H

*Shattermaster!*-D

Hiccup broke out into a fit of laughter, surprising Toothless, who was in his floating bed attached to the window in the kitchen. The cat's eyes widened as his ears swiveled, turning his head towards Hiccup to see why the human was making so much noise. Hiccup, who was sitting at the table working on a phone, leaned back in his chair to make himself more comfortable even though both of them should be busy working.

*Shattermaster?!*-H

*Don't mock me! I happen to like it.*-D

*Almost sounds like you've already made up your mind on adopting him.*-H

*The thought's growing on me the more he purrs. But it wouldn't be fair if he already has an owner.*-D

Hiccup nodded in agreement. *Hopefully he doesn't have one then. Sorry, that sounded selfish.*-H

*Then I'm selfish too because I was thinking the same thing. He's just so friendly and even let me pick him up!*-D

*Then let's hope no one comes looking for him. Still put out some posters for him though.*-H

*Don't want to accidently upset a little girl.*-D

*Exactly. Now get back to work and I'll see you in a few hours. Anything in particular you want to eat?*-H

*I don't care, bring whatever you're up for.*-D

*Ok, love you.*-H

*Love you too freckles*-D

Hiccup set his phone aside with a small grin and went back to work. However, not even ten minutes later, he received another text from his boyfriend.

*How would Toothless react to another cat?*-D

That was a very good question, one that Hiccup wasn't all that worried about but could understand Dagur's.

*He generally gets along fine with other cats as long as they're not a threat. I'm not all that concerned about it.*-H

*Ok, see you later.*-D

Hiccup waited a few more seconds to see if there was anything else Dagur wanted to ask, secretly hoping there was, before putting his phone back down and grabbed his tools just as a rhythmic knock on the door disturbed the silence of his home. Hiccup jolted at the noise and huffed in irritation as there was only one person who knocked like that. Getting up, he slouched towards the door and yanked it open to Tuffnut's smiling face, his right cheek red.

"What?" Hiccup grumped, blocking the other's way.

"I may or may not have overstepped an unknown line with Snotlout and got punched for it," Tuff replied sheepishly as his shoulders hunched to his ears.

"You made fun of Snotlout's height in front of Minden, didn't you?"

"Perhaps..."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and allowed the other in, mentally preparing himself for a day of Tuffnut. He had grown used to not seeing the blond every day since he left for college and now found that his patience had waned from lack of disuse (not counting the times he used it whenever around other people, but Tuff was a special breed), causing him to become frustrated with Tuffnut easily whenever he came around. Couldn't forget about Ruffnut either and dealing with both of them at the same time usually ended with a headache. If Tuff had given him a forewarning of his visit, Hiccup would have been better prepared for him and even wouldn't mind entertaining him for a bit during his short time here. It's visits like these, unexpected and barging into his life suddenly, that Hiccup had a hard time with as Tuff's excitable and fast paced actions often overwhelmed him and made the auburn anxious.

"You're going to apologize to him once they've settled down and bring cake while you're at it. And no you will not make them one, you will go out and buy one with all the fancy icing and fondont. White to be precise with raspberry filling if I remember correctly." Snotlout did love his white cake.

"And for the lady?" 

Hiccup frowned in confusion at the question. "What do you mean?"

"What should I get her since she's the one who hit me?"

Hiccup smacked a hand to his forehead and sighed in aggravation, longing for his peaceful day to return.

...

"All I'm saying is maybe you should revaluate your relationship with Macy," Hiccup said as a small amount of irritation began to rise. They been at this for a while with no salutations no matter how many Hiccup gave. Tuffnut was on a one track mind and being pigheaded about it. "From what you've been saying so far is that she's a bit too rough, makes fun of your softness, and doesn't appreciate you being smart, like, at all. So maybe you should just... Dump her?" He braced himself as he moved around a lamp post, hoping this would end before they reached the shop.

Tuffnut gasped in exasperation, looking at Hiccup with a 'how could you say that?' face. "I could never! She's beautiful and smart and likes me!"

"Liking you means nothing when they're not respecting you," Hiccup countered as gently as he could, not wanting this to escalate, especially out in public. "She wouldn't be doing that anyways if she truly liked you."

"What are you saying then? That she's just keeping me around for comedy relief?" Tuffnut crossed his arms and pouted like a small child, but didn't make any notion on walking away. A good sign that he was at least taking in Hiccup's words.

"Not exactly in those words, but yes. Whether or not she means to is unknown." They rounded a corner and Hiccup stopped in front of the deli, causing Tuffnut to stop as well. "You should talk to her before making any kind of decision. Ok?"

It took a short moment of thinking before Tuff nodded with a childish frown, but looked willing to at least try out that idea. "Fine."

"Good. And if you prove me wrong, I'll allow you to gloat and boast all you want at me."

"Now that sounds like a pretty good deal. What if you're proven right, though?"

"I'll buy you your favorite expensive chocolates for a month to help ease the pain." That would certainly hurt his bank account that's for sure; those little suckers cost more than what he got paid for in a day's worth of work.

"That's definitely worth the rising blood pressure of talking to someone who can lift you over their head."

Hiccup raised a questionable eyebrow and wondered how big this woman was. "Then it's settled. Let's move on to something else that isn't heart attack ensuing." He walked up the few steps to the deli's door and entered, holding it open for the other. 

"Couldn't agree more senìor. Let's talk about what you'll be wearing to the charity ball, I have a whole line of outfits in my head that I already picked out for you."

"Ugh no," Hiccup grumbled as he let the door close and stepped up behind Tuffnut in the short line of costumers. "The last time I let you do that I ended up wearing something orangy and loud, drawing many eyes. I'll stick with a regular black tux."

"But you looked absolutely fabulous in it and not one joke was made about it. Snotlout doesn't count." Tuffnut looked flabbergasted that Hiccup didn't approve of his clothing choice and disgusted at the words regular and black. "A plain tux is just that, plain, and you my friend are anything but plain. With the right cut you could accentuate that fine waist and even finer ass."

Hiccup rolled his eyes with a small smile, remembering why he missed his friend. "I don't care about accentuating anything, I'm not there to impress people. I'm there to support you muttenhead."

"And I'm grateful for that, but a way to help support me in that is to allow me to dress you." Tuffnut was suddenly on his knees and hugging Hiccup's legs, drawing unwanted attention to them. "Please please please Hiccup! Allow me the honor of dressing you for the ball! I promise not to go overboard."

Hiccup's eyes widened at the display and felt his heart rate spike as anxiety began to dig its' way into his mind. He knew if he didn't say yes now, Tuffnut would continue his charade until Hiccup was the one embarrassing himself by having a meltdown. It wasn't something Tuffnut pulled often or on purpose, but if there was something he really wanted he knew how to get it from the auburn. The last time Tuff did this was back before either of them had gone to college and wanted a big going away party for Snotlout, who planned on leaving right out of high school. 

That wasn't a problem. The problem was they wanted to do it at Hiccup's parents' home, where he still lived at the time, while said parents were gone for their anniversary. Tuffnut waited until the perfect opportunity arose to start begging and crying for them to use his home, causing Hiccup to breakdown and agree so he could run away before he could have a panic attack in front of the large crowd that had gathered. Tuff did apologize afterwards, especially after the shape his house was left in after the party, but it took a while for Hiccup to get over it.

He might with this one as well.

"Oh for Thor's sake, fine! Just get up already and stop being an idiot," Hiccup exclaimed as he smacked Tuffnut over the head with a rolled up newspaper he had stolen from a nearby table until the blond stood. "And just for that, you're paying."

"Hazzah!" Tuff jumped back onto his feet with an air of victory. "I'll get something subtle, but still eye catching, and take your measurements before I leave to give to Johann's tailor when I get back home. Oooh this is so exciting!" He clapped his hands together, lost in thought.

As Tuffnut continued voicing said thoughts out loud, Hiccup ordered for them and Dagur, remembering their favorites. He didn't even bother asking Tuff for his wallet and just shoved his hand down the blond's back pocket of his jeans, paying off their meals with cash. Once they were back out he felt like he could breathe again and let out a sigh of relief, greeted by Toothless who had been waiting for them patiently on a nearby step outside a closed store. They continued their way towards Dagur's shop and his nerves began to grow the closer they got, eyeing the feline a few times and hoping Toothless didn't make a scene when greeting Shattermaster.

Toothless reached the door first upon arriving and paced back and forth in front of it impatiently, meowing at them loudly to hurry up. The closed for lunch sign was up and Hiccup checked the door to see if it was locked. Seeing it wasn't, Hiccup opened it and pulled the still babbling Tuffnut inside as the blond noticed where they were. Toothless darted in, running towards the counter and jumping on top of it. He paused, however, upon seeing a new cat in Dagur's arms and Hiccup mentally crossed his fingers that Toothless wouldn't have a jealous hissing fit. But when Shattermaster noticed the newcomer, it appeared they had nothing to worry about as the cat jumped from Dagur's arms onto the counter and greeted Toothless with a headbutt to his chin, chirping away. The black cat returned the happy greeting with a lick to Shattermaster's face and purred.

"Huh," Hiccup said as he watched, tension melting away around the humans. "Interesting."

"Phew! For a moment there I thought I would have to stop a cat fight," Dagur exclaimed as he wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. "Cat hair and blood does not set a peaceful ambience."

The three watched as the two felines made their way to Toothless' perch on the shelves by the window. The black cat made sure there was room for Shattermaster to lay down as well and the two cuddled up against each other, quite content as the gray cat began to groom Toothless.

"I don't think this is the first time they've met," Hiccup contemplated, wondering how he could have missed the signs that his cat made a new friend. It probably wasn't a coincidence that Shattermaster just happened to climb up into Dagur's window either.

"I concur my one legged friend," Tuffnut agreed, nodding sagely. "Hellooo again handsome." He directed this to Dagur, who looked rather flushed with embarrassment, and a mischievous grin took over his mouth. "Quite the spectacle this morning, wasn't it?"

"Tuff," Hiccup warned.

"I couldn't help but notice the lack of hair in... certain areas," Tuffnut continued with a wink, now leaning over the counter with an elbow resting over it.

Despite his embarrassment, Dagur snorted into a laugh at the rediculousness of it. "An embarrassing story for another time. Maybe this meeting won't be as cringe worthy."

"Oh there was certainly nothing cringe worthy from our last meeting."

"Oh gods," Hiccup groaned as he ran a hand down his face. "Could we not please?"

Tuffnut shoved Hiccup in the shoulder lightly with a scoff. "Come on Hiccup, how can we not talk about what happened this morning? It was brilliant and mouth watering! If I wasn't with Macy, I would have asked if we could make a juicy Hiccup sandwich."

Dagur's eyes widened at the idea of it while Hiccup buried his face into his hands, flushing all the way up to his ears. It actually... wasn't all that unappealing, honestly.

"Aww don't be embarrassed, you've got nothing I haven't seen before." Tuffnut winked as he elbowed Hiccup in the ribs. "And now you."

Dagur seemed to have shaken himself out from wherever his mind had gone and now was looking between them in bewilderment. "Wait, are you saying you two...?"

"Had sex?" Tuff finished for him. "Absolutely! We were each other's firsts."

Now Dagur seemed speechless while Hiccup wanted to hide away in a cave for the rest of his life. It took a moment of the redhead gaping before he muttered, "Firsts?"

"Yeah, it was senior prom night, we didn't have dates, and with school ending we probably wouldn't be able to see each other as much so we made it memorable," Tuffnut explained, smiling fondly. "We snuck out to his place when he was still living with his parents and stole some beer that wasn't locked away in his dad's man cave. We got tipsy, started talking about sex and how we haven't done it yet, but very much wanted to. But being virgins and not very courageous in that area, we wanted to do it with someone we trusted and the idea of doing each other popped into our heads. We did a lot of research on how to have sex with another man, stole some lube from his parents' room, but no condoms as they were too big, and got down to business. I did him first and then he did me the next day. It was fantastic."

"That's actually rather sweet," Dagur commented as soon as Tuffnut was done, looking calmer than before, but there was still a light shade of pink to his cheeks. 

Fuck the caves, beam me up Scotty! "Can we stop talking about sex?" Hiccup groaned through his hands, no longer willing to look at them.

"Why? We used to talk about sex all the time!" Tuffnut said, sounding exasperated.

"When it was just me and you and only after we had our first time."

"And second, and third, and fourth... It was a very experimental couple of months before you went to college."

Hiccup let out a harsh sigh as he lowered a hand to his hip while the other rubbed a cheek, hoping to get rid of the red staining his face. He finally looked up when he heard Dagur snort and saw the redhead grinning in amusement, his embarrassment and flush fading. "Are we eating or not?"

Dagur held out a hand and Hiccup dropped a sandwich onto it, grabbing his own out of the bag. Tuffnut snagged his own when the auburn pulled away. Hiccup felt tense as silence filled the shop and he waited for the shoe, or nut, to drop. He was saved by the blond's phone going off before Tuff could say anything and by the look on his face when he saw the caller's ID, it wasn't a call he wanted to answer. Tuffnut did so anyways and Hiccup understood why by the first words out of Tuff's mouth.

"Hey mum-" Tuffnut was cut off before he could say anymore and winced at what the older woman was saying on the other side of the line. "You were still sleeping-well how was I supposed to know that?! Well then you should assume that I assumed that you would be sleeping. You guys are retired and have no reason to be up so early anyways." He sighed in exasperation and tossed a hand up in the air. "Do you still want me to visit or am I banded this time? Alright already! Geez, I'll be right over.... I love you too mommy." He made a kissy noise into the phone before hanging up, looking up to see the couple staring at him with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"Nothing," Hiccup replied quickly, looking away and taking a bite of his sandwich. "Time to go?" Please say yes.

"Sadly, yes. I'm afraid I must end this visit and take the quest over to my parents' lair to see if I can calm the dragons. I must bid thee fair well my good sirs. Chow!" Tuffnut skipped his way out of the shop after giving the cats a pet each and waved as he used his rump to push open the door.

"I like him. He's weird," Dagur said when the other left, staring at the door a few more moments.

Hiccup didn't have a proper response to that and just snickered, almost spitting out the mouthful of food. "You should see him when he really gets going, will talk for hours and surprise you with his knowledge of the different ways to preserve fruit."

Dagur huffed out a small laugh and shook his head. "So... you and him, huh?"

"Don't fucking start."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Johann has now been mentioned.... could only mean bad things. Please leave a kudo or comment, show the love.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I just realized something, we've only have a few more chapters before it's done. Omg! I'm thankful for all those who have stuck around and commented, it really encourages me to do more. Hope you all enjoy your his chapter.

There was something about wearing fancy suits that just bugged Hiccup. One, they never seem to fit just right. Two, they itch and made him feel like he was choking. Three, he felt too confined and weighted down by the thick material. However, this suit that Tuffnut had made for him fit like a glove and wasn't overly obnoxious feeling to his skin, the material light. Instead of the usual four piece black suit he had worn to many events, this one was white and a three piece with no tie in sight, a few black buttons of his shirt undone. The only color other than white on his body were the black shoes, black buttons, and emerald cufflinks. He tried to comb back his hair, but the amount of gel that would have to be used in order to do that made it look greasy and made his hair stiff. So he left it alone.

Dagur, on the other hand, wore a regular black three piece tux similar to Hiccup's except that the only other color on his body was the white button up beneath his jacket with the same emerald cufflinks. The redhead easily tamed his hair back and shaved just before it was time to get ready for the party, putting on cologne for the first time in... ever. The musk he chose tingled Hiccup's nose pleasantly and made his pupils dilate in desire; Dagur was going to have to wear that more often if Hiccup had anything to say about it. Both had to agree, though, that Tuffnut did great work in picking out their clothing, keeping his promise in subtlety.

True to his word, Tuffnut measured both of them before he left a few days after his visit and paid for the expenses. The suits were then sent to them through the mail along with boat tickets and pamphlets of the hotel they would be staying in for the night. Tuffnut left nothing out for them, paying for everything for the couple as a way of thanks for coming to the charity. Or it could be an apology gift, trying to make up for the lack of communication the past couple of years. Whatever it was, Hiccup wouldn't complain... anymore. Let's just forget he called Tuffnut right after they opened their gifts from him and chastised him for spending unnecessary money on them. 

Anyways, as they rode in the limo that Tuffnut paid for as well (another thing Hiccup chastised about), Hiccup fidgeted with the cuffs of his shirt in nervousness. He hadn't been to a party of this size since he was twelve when his father had been invited to some fancy rich person's birthday that his father knew back in high school. He had a harder time controlling his panic back then and had a melt down from overstimulation. It didn't help that his father didn't understand what exactly was going on or how to help, making the situation worse, and his mother had to stay home that day as she had been sick so she couldn't help either. Thank Thor Dagur was with him, grounding Hiccup by grabbing his hand and holding it tightly while smiling adoringly at the auburn.

"You're going to be just fine," Dagur murmured after giving Hiccup's knuckles a kiss. "I'll be right there beside you the whole time, even in the bathroom."

Hiccup chuckled, imagining the other standing guard behind him as he took a piss. "Thanks, but that won't be necessary if I can find a quiet corner if the need arises for you and I'm sure I can handle a small bathroom adventure on my own."

"What if we're alone and there's a lock on the door?" Dagur waggled his eyebrows and wiggled his hips in a thrusting motion.

Hiccup laughed, his nerves calming down and didn't immediately throwing the idea away. If they did find a bathroom that had a lock on it, Hiccup was sure he would take the opportunity to have Dagur in his suit since he was positive they'd be too exhausted to do anything after the party. He leaned in to give Dagur a lingering kiss on the lips and cupped a cheek with a free hand, rubbing a thumb along the smooth skin.

"You should have left the scruff; would have made you look more distinguished," Hiccup said as he pulled back and pressed his side close to Dagur's.

"Eh, I can live without being distinguished," Dagur mumbled with a shrug of a shoulder. "And I'm sure it wouldn't be as nice and lucious as some other pompous jerk's."

"I like your scruff. Some day I would like to see what you look like with a full on beard."

"Not as flattering, I assure you. It looks like a child went at it with dull clippers and poor instructions."

Hiccup laughed again, drawing a humourous grin from Dagur. "They have stuff for that kind of thing. Kinda like make-up."

"They have beard make-up?" Dagur sounded incredulous at the thought of it.

Hiccup shrugged. "I guess."

"No thanks, I'll stick with the routine that I've been doing the past year."

The limo stopped, cutting off their conversation, and the two looked out the window to see the large museum spread out before them; their vehicle stopping just in front of the steps. The driver stepped out and opened the door for them before Dagur could reach for the handle, nodding his head at them as they stepped out. Hiccup was quick to thank him before being dragged along by an excited redhead up the concrete steps to a set of revolving doors leading into the building. A security guard stopped them once inside, asking for their names before motioning them towards a few other guards who were waving metal detector wands over people's bodies. Hiccup groaned quietly to himself as he stood in line.

When it was his turn and before the guard could raise the wand, Hiccup bent down and pulled up his pant leg to show off his prosthetic. The guard didn't seem preturbed by the action and nodded, doing a quick sweep along the rest of his body. When nothing pinged, he was let through. Dagur followed just behind him without a hitch and hooked his arm with Hiccup's, following the crowd to a more open area where the party was being held. The two gaped at the sight before them, the lights and decorations tastefully done without overlapping the art. This Johann had good taste or at least knows someone who does. Large round tables took up space in the middle of the room with a fancy buffet style dinner off to the side on several rectangular tables with servers standing behind them ready to fill your plate. It wasn't what Hiccup was used to with these kind of parties, but he was thankful nonetheless. Now he wouldn't have to eat something he didn't want to look respectful.

"I feel like we're a bit early," Dagur whispered into Hiccup's ear as they watched the people milling about, music playing from a small orchestra on the balcony above them. "There's not as many people here as I thought there would be."

"It's invitation only so maybe not many people were invited." Hiccup was beginning to think only the wealthiest were allowed to join the party as a couple laughed snootily by them. "Only the ones that really 'matter' it seems."

"Ugh, gun. Mouth. Now." Dagur made a gun with his hand and put the 'barrel' into his mouth, pulling the trigger. "Where's the alcohol? If I'm going to have to listen to pompous talk and condescending laughter, I want to do it while drunk."

Hiccup rolled his eyes with a small smile and let himself be pulled into the room. He had calmed down a bit more once he realized it wasn't as large a party as he thought and he had learned how to deal with rich jerks over the years, having gone to many of these kinds of parties before. "Don't go past tipsy, I still want to have some fun before the night is over and it won't do any good if you can't get it up."

"Noted. At least I have that to look forward to." Dagur grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter, taking a large sip that he instantly regretted. "I forgot how much champagne sucks." He smiled childishly at a woman who glared at them at the redhead's comment.

Hiccup shook his head with a sigh and took the glass from Dagur, downing the rest of it quickly before setting it on another passing drink tray and hissing at the slight burn down his throat. "Not bad, but I prefer rose."

Dagur raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Of course you would know the different kinds of sparkling wine. But did you know you can't call any kind of sparkling wine champagne unless it came from the Champagne wine region of France?" 

"Yes, Dagur, I knew that," Hiccup replied with a small smile, finding the redhead's pout adorable. "But not very many people do. How do you know?"

Dagur perked up at this as a fond grin replaced the pout. "My step mother is French and she's taught me a lot of her home country. Taught me some French too."

"Really? How well do you speak?" Hiccup stopped them on the outskirts of the room in a quiet area, removing his arm from Dagur's so he could hold his hand instead while facing him. This was news to him.

"Eeh, not very well. I only know a few phrases mom taught me in case I ever end up going to France and some other.... stuff I taught myself."

"Like?"

"Où est la salle de bain? Where is the bathroom. Umm, puis-je prendre un café? May I have a coffee. Bonjour mon nom est Dagur. Hello my name is Dagur."

Hiccup gulped as his pupils dilated, not understanding why Dagur speaking to him in French made him want to rip the redhead's clothes off. "Y-you speak it wonderfully. What other things can you say?"

Dagur must have seen the affect on him for a predatory smirk morphed on his lips as he leaned in to whisper into Hiccup's ear. "Je t'aime, Hiccup. Tu me rends fou et je te veux. Je veux te faire l'amour et toi à moi."

Hiccup felt weak in the knees and bit his lip as Dagur spoke into his ear what he guessed was what he wanted to do. He did recognize Je t'aime as I love you and he blushed hearing it from Dagur. Now if only they could sneak away and find a room to lock themselves in for a few hours.

"Puis-je vous embrasser?"

"Hm?"

"May I kiss you?"

Hiccup nodded and leaned towards Dagur, meeting his lips with his own. It was quick and small, a peck really considering where they were and something more would be considered inappropriate. "You have got to speak to me like that sometime whenever we're in the bedroom. How come you never told me you could speak French no matter how little of it you know?"

"I'll keep that in mind. And I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was very important and it never came up." Dagur shrugged as he looked out over the people. "Sometimes I forget I could."

Hiccup giggled and grabbed another glass, this one full of something red and fruity. He took a sip before handing it to Dagur. "You might like this one."

Dagur didn't hesitate and took a large gulp, licking his lips. "Mm, there we go! Something strong mixed with something sweet." He took a smaller sip to savor the taste and most likely help slow himself down from getting drunk.

Hiccup chuckled and took the glass to have another sip before handing it back, spotting Tuffnut near what he guessed would be a stage or podium. The blond was talking animatedly to a few guests who actually looked quite interested in what he was saying. Hiccup nudged Dagur and jerked his head towards Tuff, raising a questioning brow. Dagur looked disgruntled at leaving their safe haven to go talk to Tuffnut, a facade, before nodding and allowed Hiccup to take the lead. Still holding his hand, Hiccup found the quickest way to the blond with the least amount of contact with others. Tuff was wearing an extravagant four piece white suit with a black vest, buttons, and shoes and his dreadlocks looked clean, done up in a loose bun behind his head. Upon reaching Tuffnut, Hiccup placed a hand on the blond's shoulder, turning his attention towards them and cutting off the conversation.

"Hey, you made it! And looking quite fabulous I might add," Tuffnut greeted as he adjusted the collar of Hiccup's shirt and loosened another button on Dagur's without asking, nodding to himself. "Andrew did great work."

"Thanks," Hiccup replied, unsure on how he felt about Tuffnut touching his boyfriend like that. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. You look good yourself. Is Macy wearing something to match you?"

Tuffnut's cheerful demure dimmed as he adjusted Dagur's shirt one last time. "We broke up last week."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Hiccup replaced his hand over Tuffnut's shoulder and rubbed his thumb over where it had settled. "Was it because of something I said?"

"In a way, yes. But not in a bad way. I did what you told me and finally gathered the courage to talk to her, told her my feelings, and she laughed in face. Told me she was only playing around and that I'm too sensitive if I couldn't take a joke. So I broke it off and decided to hold off on doing anything serious for a while. Maybe just have some fun for a bit." Tuffnut shrugged, accidentally dislodging Hiccup's hand from his shoulder. "But enough about me. How did you find the hotel, eh? Lots of room for all kinds of activities."

Hiccup knew Tuffnut was still quite upset about the breakup and was trying to change the topic to something more light and away from him. Hiccup gladly did so. "It's great, but we didn't have much time to do anything other than get ready for the party, which looks amazing by the way."

"Thank you, Johann knows a guy who knows a guy who does this sort of thing for a living. Paid quite a bit to get this guy to do all this." He spread his arms out as if showcasing the area, turning in place once quickly and almost lost his balance. "And my art! It's actually on display! How cool is that!"

Hiccup looked about and sure enough, he spotted a few paintings that could only belong to Tuffnut. "Very cool. I'm proud of you Tuffnut."

"Aww shucks, you know how to make a young guy blush." Tuffnut hugged Hiccup tightly, almost shaking him in excitement. "Let me show you to your seats, I reserved a table for us."

"Who else will be sitting us?" Dagur asked as the couple followed behind the blond to a table in the front, but off to the side in a more quiet part of the room.

"Well, your parents and sister-" Tuffnut started, but Dagur cut him off with a surprised squeak.

"My family is coming?!" Dagur froze in place and Hiccup couldn't tell if he was very happy or horrified at the prospect of them being here.

"Yup! Invited them as soon as I got home after my visit and they were very excited to learn that you would be here." Tuffnut stood proudly with his hands on his hips, beaming.

Dagur imitated a fish with his mouth, speechless. Hiccup quirked a small smirk as he placed a hand on the small of Dagur's back and hurried them along to their table where they could sit down and properly talk. Tuffnut stopped at their table and pointed to each seat which held individual place cards with their names on it. Hiccup's chair sat facing the crowd with his back to the closest exit, Dagur and Tuffnut on either side of him. The auburn smiled gratefully at the blond for the forethought of the placement and hoped he wouldn't have to make any sudden exits tonight. The noise wasn't too loud, no one made a move to go speak to them, and the food looked delicious. Plus he was going to meet up with a few of his friends from what the other cards on the table read.

"I noticed Ruffnut's name isn't here," Hiccup said as he sat down, Dagur sitting next to him and still a little bit shaken. "Or your parents'."

"This isn't mom's and dad's scene, but they did congratulate me. As for sis, she's too busy hunting down a suspect which is more important than a party," Tuffnut replied as he sat down on the other side of the auburn. He fiddled with the card that held his name before folding it, starting some origami thing.

"Suspect?" Hiccup repeated, drawing Dagur's attention from the possible embarrassment of meeting his parents.

"Oh yeah, haven't you heard? Ruff became a detective a couple of months ago and reopened a cold case after some new evidence came up, closed it within a few days after making an arrest and getting the confession. It was all over the news!"

"I haven't heard anything about it, but congratulations to her. That's... quite amazing." Hiccup was very impressed with the twin sister and did not see that coming. He had no idea she was into that kind of thing in the first place.

"I know right!"

"So who else is coming other than my family?" Dagur butted in, finally finding his voice.

"Let's see..." Tuff tapped his chin in thought. "Astrid said she'll try to come but no promises. Fishlegs is on a very important breakthrough with his science stuff and said not to wait up. Snotlout will be here shortly with Minden. And Grimmel will be coming in place of your parents, Hiccup. Seriously, who needs to be there as the people vote whether or not they should pave the road out by your parents' house?"

"They do since my dad is the mayor and my mom is his wife," Hiccup sighed before realizing what the other just said. "Wait, uncle Grimmel is coming?"

"Who's uncle Grimmel?" Dagur leaned in curiously as Hiccup was now the one to be surprised.

"I have no idea. No one's ever met him other than Hiccup, 'course. No one knows when he visits and is gone without people noticing. It's crazy! It's like he's a ghost!"

"He's my mom's adopted younger brother," Hiccup cut in before Tuffnut could come up with some elaborate story on who he thought the auburn's uncle was. "He's not a big fan of people and only comes by to visit when he knows there won't be any other visitors during his stay. And Astrid's met him once before." But he will agree that his uncle was a bit... off. "I'm surprised he agreed to come tonight."

"Lady Valka said she would handle it." Tuff shrugged as he finished his project, holding up a tiny snake in his hand. He flicked it off his hand and it sailed high in the air, hitting a rather tall and skinny man that hadn't been there seconds ago right in the forehead. "Oh geeze, I'm soooorry...." Tuffnut trailer off as he looked up at the stranger, eyes widening and cheeks reddening.

Oh gods please no. Hiccup recognized that look on Tuffnut's face and it spelled trouble.

The man standing before them across the table was pale with short white hair that had a mind of its' own and wore a completely black tux. He had closed his eyes when the snake bumped off his forehead, blinking them open a few times in confusion before staring belligerently down at the three of them. "I see I found the right table," he mumbled, revealing he had a slight English accent.

"Hi uncle," Hiccup greeted quietly in embarrassment.

Tuffnut gaped at that, gasping noisily. "Noooo, really?! You're Hiccup's elusive uncle? Oh ho, that's absolutely brilliant!" The blond rubbed his hands together mischievously.

Grimmel raised a brow at the action. "Is there something wrong with your friend, Hiccup?"

"Plenty, but don't let Tuffnut's outward appearance fool you. He's actually quite smart when he actually tries," Hiccup answered, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion and worry at what the other might be getting up to. "Glad you could make it."

"Wish I could say the same. How long is *this* expected to last?" Grimmel raised a hand to inspect his nails, looking uninterested.

"I don't know, but you don't have to stay here if you don't want to. I'm fine."

Grimmel turned his piercing gaze to Hiccup's and narrowed his eyes slightly as he gave the auburn a quick once over. "Best not. Why don't you introduce me to your partner."

Remembering that Dagur was sitting beside him, Hiccup flushed and stuttered as the redhead placed a comforting hand on his knee. "O-oh! Yes, um, uncle this is Dagur. Dagur, this is my uncle Grimmel."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Dagur said as he reached across the table to shake the older man's hand.

"Hmm." Grimmel only hummed softly as he looked down at Dagur condescendingly, ignoring the hand.

"Uncle," Hiccup warned, glaring slightly. "Play nice."

"This is playing nice. Now that we got that out of the way, please excuse me." Grimmel bowed his head at the three before moving away from them, disappearing into the crowd with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Wait! I have several questions to ask you!" Tuffnut shouted as he quickly stood up from his seat, almost knocking it over, to run after the man. 

The couple glanced at each other before bursting out into a fit of giggles. Hiccup slapped the back of his hand against Dagur's thigh as he tried shushing him through the snickering to keep from earning any more disapproving looks. The auburn wasn't completely sure what just happened, but was glad he wouldn't have to deal with his uncle's uncomfortable and intimidating presence all night. He was unsure what the man did for a living, but he wouldn't be surprised if his uncle ended up being part of some kind of gang or some secret government agency.

They sat for a time, talking and waiting for the crowd around the food tables to thin a bit before getting up, making a plate to their liking. The food was excellent and the alcoholic beverages delicious, however, Hiccup made sure both of them drank more water than wine or mixers. They were left alone for the most part, a few lonely stragglers looking to pick someone up for a late night rendezvous before trailing off once seeing the two were a couple and not willing to share. It was an hour in, no Tuffnut or Grimmel anywhere to be seen, before the couple saw a familiar face that had been invited. Three of them to be exact. Three that made Dagur jump from his seat to go great them with affectionate hugs.

Dagur hugged the two women first before shaking the man's hand, immediately getting pulled into a breath taking embrace. Hiccup recognized Heather, her raven locks done up in loose curls and make-up caked on artistically. She was wearing a black, long sleeved dress that reached her stilletoed feet, plenty of cleavage put on display. The older woman beside her had a twinkle in her light brown eyes, dark brown hair long enough to create a braided crown before being pulled up into a thick bun. Her eyes were done in neutral colors and her dress was simar to Heather's, but was green and not as revealing. Dagur was the spitting image of the man other than the hair and nose. The man's hair was black like Heather's, but he had Dagur's shade of eyes, facial features, and body type. His nose, though, was a bit more smushed with the bone near the bridge a bit rough looking, most likely due to it being broken some time in the past. He wore a standard black and white tux.

Dagur lead them closer to the table and moved to stand by Hiccup, who had stood up from his chair, wrapping an arm around the auburn's waist. "This is my dad Oswald, my mom Trish, and of course you know my sister. Guys, this is my boyfriend Hiccup."

"Nice to meet you," Hiccup said as he reached out to shake their hands.

"None of that now, you're basically part of the family and we hug our family," the woman, Trish, said enthusiastically with a heavy French accent as she walked towards Hiccup to give him a motherly hug. She smelt like peach flavored perfume.

The man, Oswald was next and he did not disappoint in the hug department. Hiccup almost thought he heard his bones creak from how tightly he was held. "Great to finally meet you! Dagur's told so much about you."

"Good things I hope," Hiccup wheezed, groaning, before being set back down.

"Excellent things!"

"My turn!" Heather said as she squeezed by her father to wrap her arms around Hiccup, her embrace more gentle. "Finally, we get to meet face to face and not through a screen or from far away." She let him go and moved back so Dagur could take his place next to Hiccup again. "Sorry we're a bit late, we couldn't get an earlier boat ride and I am not stepping into a tiny flying tin can."

"It's fine, the night's still young," Dagur replied with a smile, grabbing Hiccup's hand.

"Well maybe if you came to visit us more often ma chérie, we wouldn't have to worry about the night still being young," Trish chastised, but she was smiling kindly as she wagged her finger at her son.

"It's goes both ways, maman." 

Hiccup smiled in amusement as mother and son bickered lightheartedly and found the display quite endearing. He watched as Heather rolled her eyes as if she had seen all of this many times before and stepped in to lead her step mom to her assigned seat, right across the table from Hiccup and Dagur. Oswald scored a drink for him and his wife from a passing server, eyes wandering over towards the table as he sat down next to her. Heather sat down on the other side of Trish, Tuffnut's seat in between her and Dagur.

"So," Trish started after taking a small sip of her champagne, "while Dagur has told us so much about you, I'm quite sure most of it exaggerated-"

"Hey!" Dagur exclaimed in dismay.

But Trish continued. "Could you tell us a bit about yourself?"

Being in the spotlight of Dagur's parents was daunting and Hiccup felt himself become a bit hot beneath the collar from the uncomfortable attention. "Well, there isn't much to tell. I've lived in Berk all my life, I fix all kinds of computers and devices, and I have cat."

"Oh come now, I'm sure there's much more to you than that from what Dagur tells me."

"I guess I don't find myself all that facinating."

"Well I think you're absolutely wonderful," Dagur complimented as he squeezed a hand over Hiccup's knee, staring at him like the auburn hung the stars. "You're outrageously smart, kind, funny, a bit sassy with the most interesting things to say. You don't like small talk, but you can talk for hours about something you're passionate about, especially if the person you're talking to likes the same thing. You don't take shi-uh crap from anyone if you don't have to and you always try to leave a good impression on others."

Hiccup listened to him with wide eyes, blushing up to his ears and forgetting they weren't alone. He smiled shyly when Dagur finished and placed his hand on the table, palm up, to which the redhead placed his over it and intertwined their fingers.

Trish applauded quietly as she smiled proudly at her son, overjoyed at the display of affection. "Oh mon fils, I'm so happy for you. And you Hiccup, I'm so happy you have chosen him. I can see the intense love in your auras intertwining and it is beautiful." She fanned herself as tears began to fill her eyes.

...

Another half hour passed, the small group keeping to their table and talking, catching up and swapping stories, when Tuffnut showed his face once again. He was immediately liked by the parents, his strangeness making Trish giggle and fuss over him. It wasn't all that surprising since Trish was strange herself, but in an endearing sort of way that Hiccup liked. She would get along well with his own mother if Trish and Valka ever met. Heather was still trying to get used to Tuffnut's oddness, blinking a few times in confusion at some of the things he said while Oswald was unclear about it. He showed no concerning facial expression so far towards the blond and Hiccup took that as a win for the time being. The man must be used to it from his wife.

It would be another forty minutes, everyone's bellies stuffed (including Trish's purse) and minds a bit tipsy from drinking, when a rather short, tacky dressed man with graying brown hair and beard came by their table with a nervous grin that looked forced. The nervousness or the grin, it was hard to tell. But Hiccup immediately didn't like him as red flags began waving hysterically in his mind and his gut told him to run. He stayed put however as Tuffnut stood and greeted the man as if they were old friends, hugging him and making the guy look uncomfortable.

"Johann! My man! Isn't this a great party or what?" Tuffnut said as he embraced the brunette.

"Oh, oh dear, I forgot how much you liked to hug," the man said as he stood still in the blond's hold. "Y-yes, it has turned out quite well."

"What brings you over here to our sad little corner?" Tuffnut finally let go and the newcomer immediately took several steps back as he adjusted himself.

"I wouldn't say sad, but I wanted to greet the people you had personally invited yourself." Johann turned towards the rest of the table and put on a polite smile that sent shivers down Hiccup's spine.

Hiccup felt a presence beside him and look up to see his uncle suddenly there, watching Johann with a dull, expressionless look. But there was a sense of warning coming from him that made the auburn feel uneasy. 

"Oh, well this is Trish, Oswald and their daughter Heather," Tuffnut replied as he waved a hand towards each person. Said persons nodded in greetings as did Johann before the blond carried on. "And this is my good friend Hiccup and his boyfriend Dagur."

Johann's eyes suddenly came to life at that and while his smile still looked 'friendly', there was a predatory edge to it. "Ah, yes. I've heard so much about you two. A pleasure to finally meet you. I would shake your hand, but I'm a bit uncomfortable with human contact. Do forgive me."

"No worries," Dagur said good naturedly, smiling at the smallish man kindly. "It's nice to meet you too."

Johann nodded before turning his attention back to Tuffnut, hands clasped together in front of him. "The children of the group home will be here shortly to sing their little song and remind everyone what the charity is about before we start the auction."

"Excellent. I look forward to seeing how much we make tonight for the little ankle biters," Tuffnut replied, looking rather excited.

"Then I'll be off and get everything underway, ta." Johann nodded his goodbyes to the others, eyes lingering on Dagur for a moment. His eyes then narrowed when they spotted Grimmel and the smallish man looked down his nose at Hiccup's uncle before leaving the group.

The table went back to talking amongst themselves except for Hiccup, who was still processing what had just happened. He still felt his uncle standing behind him, but the older man's gaze was tracking Johann until the smallish man disappeared into another part of the museum. Grimmel then leant down and proceeded to whisper into Hiccup's ear, only loud enough for the auburn to hear.

"I don't want you anywhere near that man alone."

Hiccup felt his anxiety start to climb its' way up from where he had stamped it down earlier and nodded, not questioning his uncle's choice of words. So he wasn't the only one who got a bad feeling about the guy. Grimmel patted his shoulder lightly and awkwardly before walking away, Tuffnut's eyes following him with a small pout. Dagur had missed the small exchange, caught up in a conversation with his sister, and chuckled at something she said. Hiccup didn't want to interrupt him or make him worry, but he needed to be grounded. Needed something to help him calm back down. So he grabbed the redhead's hand over the table and squeezed it while looking out over the crowd to hide his nervous expression from the other. Dagur squeezed back and already Hiccup could feel his mind calm itself, pressing his side against Dagur's. The redhead's scent filled his nose and he sighed while his shoulders relaxed.

Not long after, a group of boys between the ages six and sixteen all dressed to the nines walked up to stand in front of the podium where Johann now stood on top of with a mic in hand. The smallish man tapped on the mic to gather everyone's attention and whoever was standing moved to sit down in their seats. The kids looked rather nervous to be standing there with everyone's eyes on them and a few shuffled their feet, a couple of the smaller children holding the older kids' hands for comfort.

"Good evening everyone, thank you all for coming to this very special event," Johann began, smiling widely down at the guests with a glass in his other hand. "I'm so glad so many of you came tonight to help bring the Clarence Group Home for Boys back up onto its' feet. As some of you may know, my brother and I have spent most of our young childhood years there before being adopted, I just wish it was my idea in the first place. I'm afraid I haven't much thought of this place since being adopted, but I'm now hoping to rectify that before the night is over. I won't bore you with any stories tonight so without further ado, please give these boys a welcoming applause."

The guests clapped as an older woman stepped out in front of the group of children, facing them and motioning them to smile. Music began to play, the woman acting like a conductor and keeping them in sync with the music as they sang This is Me. A few of them were off key or too loud, but it made it that much more enjoyable and adorable as they smiled or hid their face in an older boy's pant leg in one little boy's case. Everyone had their phones out to record them, most likely to post it on whatever social media network they had soon after. Hiccup had no doubt that most of them would use it as way to say that they did something good so people should buy their products or raise their stocks or something along those lines. 

When the kids finished, the guests clapped and the kids were lead back out, some rubbing their eyes and yawning. Johann was back on the podium, glass missing, and clapping his hands until the children were gone. While he smiled and appeared to look awed by the adorable display, it did not reach his eyes.

"Wasn't that just precious?" Johann sighed in 'happiness', hand over his heart. "Ah, so adorable. Now to finish the night off, we'll start the art auction. All proceedings will go to the group home so don't feel afraid to add a few extra zeros to those checks. Ha, I'm only joking!" The guests chuckled. "The artist of these paintings is none other than the man who thought the charity up and is willing to sell some of his work for the sake of the children. Can we give him a loud round of applause in thank you?"

Tuffnut blushed sheepishly at the attention as he waved slightly and looked like he wanted to sink to the floor to hide beneath the table. Hiccup placed a hand on the blond's shoulder and jostled him about, smiling encouragingly at him. 

Johann held a hand up to quiet the room as a stand was set up for the first painting being brought in. "The first piece we have up here is quite... interesting. When I asked Mr. Thorston about it, he explained to me it was done when he was feeling particularly homesick. As you can see, the color choice was chosen to represent that feeling of homesickness. We'll start the bidding at one thousand."

Hiccup's eyebrows raised at the amount, rising higher with each hand popping up and upping it. Tuffnut even looked surprised and was on the edge of his seat before the piece was finally sold. The blond gasped at what it sold for and looked to be shaking from the adrenaline coursing through his body. Hiccup patted his shoulder and quietly congratulated him. 

As the next painting was brought up, Hiccup took out his phone to check the time, wondering where Snotlout and Minden were. It became obvious after the first hour that Astrid and Fishlegs weren't coming, but he had become concerned when his cousin and fiance had yet to show. He sent his cousin a quick text before turning his attention back to the auction, keeping his phone in his hand. He received a quiet, vibrating text back within minutes.

*Not gonna make it 2nite, our ferry from Bazerker Island never showed. We'll stay the nite here b4 heding home.* -S

Hiccup frowned in disappointment and felt sorry the two wasted the trip out here. *Sorry, see you guys when we get back home. Have a nice time on Bazerker Island.*-H

He didn't receive any more messages and put his phone away, the third painting now being brought up. He leaned into Dagur to whisper into his ear, "Snotlout and Minden aren't able to come tonight. One of their boat rides didn't show up."

"That sucks. I know Tuffnut was really looking forward to seeing them," Dagur replied.

"I know." Hiccup glanced towards Tuff, seeing the blond becoming very thrilled at how much his art was selling for. "I'll tell him after the auction or wait 'til he asks."

"Good idea. How many more paintings are being sold?"

"Fifteen I think."

"Fifteen? Thor, boynut's been busy."

"He's had a lot of time on his hands lately."

Dagur nodded. "Obviously... I'm gonna head to the restroom, be right back."

"Ok."

Hiccup sat back in his chair as Dagur stood up and snuck out to a separate area of the museum. Five minutes later, his phone vibrated to warn him he had another text message. Upon pulling it out from his jacket's pocket, he saw it was from Dagur. Raising an eyebrow, Hiccup unlocked it to read it. But instead of words, he got several pictures instead. The first one was taken of the sports section of the museum followed by a picture of a door next to a very old motorcycle. Next to the door was a blue plack that read family bathroom. The third and last picture was of Dagur taking a selfie, shirt untucked and pants undone with his cock poking out, hard. Hiccup's eyes widened and he swallowed, looking around discreetly to see if anyone had noticed. No one was paying him any mind.

As quietly as he could, he stood up and made his way out of the room towards the sports area, passing by a few people wandering about. He spotted the door Dagur was hiding behind and began making his way to it, body heating up the closer he got. He was halfway there when a woman passing by in front of him suddenly tripped and fell into him. Hiccup grabbed her reflexively to keep her from falling, groaning at the sudden weight.

"Oops, sorry!" the young woman yelped, clutching his arms.

"It's fine. You ok?" Hiccup asked as he started to help her to stand back onto her feet properly.

"Yes-ah!" She yelped in pain when she put weight onto her right foot, holding it up.

Hiccup kept his hold on her to keep her steady. "Seems like you sprained your ankle."

"Dammit. I knew I shouldn't have worn high heels!" She huffed in disappointment and looked at a loss on what to do.

"Anything I can do to help?"

She gazed at him sheepishly, grinning shyly. "Could you take me out front? I just called for my driver."

Hiccup looked over towards the bathroom then over towards the direction of the exit then back to the bathroom. His gaze then fell on the woman, who was staring at him pleadingly, before sighing as his shoulders slumped. "Sure. Here, put your arm around my shoulders."

"Oh thank you so much." She did as asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist. 

"No problem." Hiccup gave her a kind smile to hide his irritation, cursing his caring nature.

The two made their way slowly to the front door, which was in a completely different part of the building, enough time passing for Hiccup to receive two more texts most likely from Dagur. He ignored them as they finally made it outside, helping her down the stairs and becoming distracted by the van pulling up in front of them; white and windowless in the back. Something in his gut told him he needed to run. *Run now! Go quickly!* But he ignored that as well, not wanting to leave the woman alone.

"Is that your ride?" Hiccup asked as the woman had them walk straight towards it, just yards away.

"No. It's yours."

"Wha-?" Before he could turn around to ask what she meant, upruptly stopping them, something pricked his neck and a burning sensation spread across the area. He hissed as he let her go, suddenly feeling sluggish and lethargic. He stumbled away and brought a hand to his neck where he had felt the pinprick of pain, staring at the woman in bewilderment.

"Sorry hun, nothing personal," she said, standing perfectly fine on both feet with an empty needle in her hand. Her expression had become blank and that feeling of doom came back with a vengeance.

"What-what did..." 

Hiccup's vision blurred as his voice slurred and felt his body becoming weak. The sliding door to the van opened up behind him just as he started to fall, two pairs of arms catching him. His body disobeyed him when he tried to struggle free as he was dragged back into the vehicle, vision darkening. He was thrown into the back and the door slammed shut behind him, drowning him in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cliffhanger?! Seriously?! You guys are probably fed up with me by now.
> 
> ma chérie- my darling
> 
> Maman- mother
> 
> Mon fils- my son
> 
> Je t'aime, Hiccup. Tu me rends fou et je te veux. Je veux te faire l'amour et toi à moi: I love you, Hiccup. You drive me crazy and I want you. I want to make love to you and you to me.
> 
> As always, please leave a comment or kudo, show the love.


	17. Intermission: Dagur's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was a bit shorter and quicker to edit. I was going to wait until tomorrow to post, but again I got excited at what's about to unfold so here you go. Dagur's POV to boot! Hope you all are enjoying yourselves!

Dagur could not take his eyes off of Hiccup as soon as he came out of the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in the suit Tuffnut had made for him. White suited the other greatly and the strong smell of deorderant Hiccup was wearing tonight, the auburn hated wearing cologne, sent pleasant tingles down his spine. If they had more time, he would have taken Hiccup on the hotel room's desk while still fully dressed. But Dagur needed his turn to shower and get ready before their limo (fucking limo!?) picked them up to bring them to the party. He was unsure on whether to leave the stubble or shave it before deciding to just shave it, not wanting that kind of debate before attending an important party. He did start to regret it, however, when Hiccup asked about it and had to tell the truth about why he shaved in the first place. Which was embarrassing.

When they reached the museum and walked inside, Dagur was flabbergasted and for a minute thought they were early. They weren't, luckily, and he was glad, feeling Hiccup start to calm down against him. He was worried there for a moment about how Hiccup would react if the room was packed full of people, hoping this was all that were attending. Fortunately, there were many exits to leave from in case his boyfriend got overstimulated and needed to go. Then they found Tuffnut and the blond lead them to their table, the placement perfect and quiet. Dagur knew the nut chose that spot on purpose for Hiccup and was glad the auburn had such a thoughtful friend.

When Tuffnut told them his family was coming, Dagur felt excited to see them again after so long and frightened at the same time for that very same reason. His stepmother was all about family and tended to get testy whenever he waited too long to call her. Not only that, he would be introducing his parents to his boyfriend, a step he didn't think he was ready for yet, but it was out of his hands now and it was happening whether he liked it or not. He was grateful Hiccup didn't ask any questions about it and made sure he stuck to his side like glue, shielding the auburn from the other party guests. It came as a pleasant surprise during the wait that him speaking French affected Hiccup in such a way, making Dagur want to drag him away to some excluded part of the museum. And let's not forget Hiccup's uncle... that was an uncomfortable experience he would like to forget.

He spotted them a while after arriving and got up to greet them, his happiness at seeing them overshadowing his fear. He wasn't surprised when he was hugged, expecting it even, and gladly returned them before taking them to the table and introducing them to Hiccup. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when his family took to Hiccup quickly and already accepted him into the family. Seeing his boyfriend interact with his parents and sister made his heart flutter and butterflies wreck havoc in his belly. He knew he was smiling dopily at Hiccup, but he didn't care; he loved his skinny boyfriend and would move mountains for him if asked to.

Johann was... creepy for a lack of a better word. Dagur spent enough time in a gang and acting like one to know when someone was putting up a facade. This guy was faking everything and was good at hiding it, but not enough to keep Dagur (and Hiccup it seemed) in the dark. Grimmel seemed to know too as he was suddenly there behind Hiccup with a dangerous look in his eyes that promised death. He pretended not to notice when Grimmel had whispered something into his nephew's ear, but it must have been important by the look on Hiccup's face as he nodded. The facade Johann put up never dropped, pretending to care about the children and look interested in Tuffnut's paintings, which actually weren't half bad, and the feeling of foreboding that had settled in his stomach never left.

All the water and alcohol he drank earlier had started to take a toll on his bladder, forcing him to leave Hiccup's side to take care of it. At first he started for the men's room until he saw a family bathroom right next to the women's and headed for that instead, remembering Hiccup's declaration of doing some naughty stuff here if they got the chance. Well... Dagur just found their chance and the party was coming to a close probably within the next hour. No time like the present before the two of them became too tired and pass out on the bed when they get back to the hotel. He took a quick picture of the section of the museum he was in then at the door, making sure the sign beside it was readable. He went into the bathroom, took a quick piss, and wanked himself until he was fully hard before taking a third picture of himself through the mirror. He sent them with an excited smirk and leaned back against the counter as he waited.

Five minutes passed and for a moment he thought he heard Hiccup through the door, but then decided it must have been his imagination as his boyfriend did not come in or knock soon after. Another five minutes and Dagur's prick had flagged as worry of Hiccup having gotten lost filled him. Another five minutes passed and Dagur tugged himself back into his briefs after sending Hiccup a few texts, righting his clothes, and left the bathroom with a small frown. He went back to where the party was being held and peeked in, searching the room but didn't spot Hiccup. Panic started to fill him as Dagur began to think that maybe Hiccup really had gotten lost and was probably having a meltdown, moving him forward to search for the auburn.

He started on the first floor, searching where he was allowed to go and asking security guards where he wasn't if they had seen him. He showed them a picture of Hiccup on his phone and each time a guard shook their head no along with a mumbled sorry, Dagur's heart sank lower into his stomach. Where the hell could Hiccup have gone? Did something happen and he had to leave? Was he hiding somewhere to calm down? Dagur picked up his pace at the thought of Hiccup having a panic attack alone and started for the stairs for the second floor. He was stopped by two guards and he proceeded to ask them and show them a picture of Hiccup, but both hadn't seen anyone with the auburn's looks coming their way. The two had been there all night and not once has anyone made their way up the stairs.

Disheartened and beginning to sweat with worry, Dagur all but ran down the stairs and pulled out his phone to call his boyfriend for the fifth time. Again, no answer. Feeling like he was about to have a panic attack himself, Dagur sat down on a bench near a fossil exhibit to catch his breath and keep himself from hyperventilating. He tried once more to call Hiccup, but it went straight to voicemail and he dropped his phone into his lap to run his hands through his hair, tugging on it.

"It appears I'm not the only one looking for Hiccup."

Dagur's head shot up, hair a mess, to see Grimmel standing before him, staring down at him with well hidden concern. He immediately stood up with wide eyes and held back from grabbing the man to frantically ask if he knew where Hiccup was before realizing what the other had said. "What do you mean I'm not the only one looking for Hiccup?"

Grimmel answered by jerking his head to the side before walking calmly away, hands clasped behind his back. Dagur followed after him, still waiting for a reply as the white haired man headed for the stairs. "When I saw Hiccup leave minutes after you and after receiving a message from his phone, I had an idea on what was about to occur and stayed at my post to keep an eye on Johann."

Dagur blushed at the thought of Hiccup's uncle knowing they were going to have sex in a public bathroom, but something else the other said caught his attention. "Post? Keep an eye on Johann? What are you talking about?"

"I knew due to the area of where you two were about to copulate that you would have been back within twenty minutes," Grimmel continued, not appreciating the interruption. "But when the time passed and none of you came back added with Johann suddenly feeling 'sick', leaving after being replaced so the auction could finish, I understood something dire had happened." The two climbed the stairs and were stopped by the same guards. Grimmel then pulled out a... was that a badge? He flashed it at them and the guards immediately stepped aside to let them through.

"What's going on?" Dagur growled once they passed, grabbing Grimmel's arm and forcing him to face him. He returned the glare the white haired man gave, but did remove his hand.

"It appears Hiccup might have been taken."

Dagur paled and felt like his heart fell into his stomach. "Taken? By who?"

"Johann," Grimmel said as he began walking once more.

"Johann? But... why?" Dagur followed beside him, eyebrows furrowed and lips pulled down into a confused frown. "What did Hiccup ever do to him?"

"It's not what Hiccup did, but more of what *you've* done."

"What I've done? I've only met Johann tonight! How could I have done anything to him in the short amount of time since then?" 

Grimmel paused in front of a door with the words SECURITY ROOM written on it in large letters. "His brother Drago Bloodfist was there during the raid you and the FBI had set up and got killed in the process. I don't know how Johann found out you were working with the FBI, but he has and he's out for blood."

"Fuck... Drago was Johann's brother?" Dagur remembered the gorilla of a man and did not see the resemblance between the two at all. He didn't see the man get shot, but Dagur did remember seeing him lying in a pool of his own blood when it was over. "But why take Hiccup? He's innocent."

"Innocence means nothing if he's affiliated with you." Grimmel opened the door to reveal a darkened room with several monitors covering one wall. "My guess, he saw a chance and took it, using Hiccup to get to you." He moved inside and stepped up to the monitors, standing beside the single computer chair within the room. "What have you found?"

For a moment, Dagur thought Grimmel was speaking to him until the person sitting in the chair spoke up, surprising the redhead by how familiar it sounded.

"I followed Hiccup's movements from when he left the party and this is what I found," she said as she began typing away on a keyboard.

"H-Heather?!" Dagur gasped as he stood on the other side of the chair, looking down to see his sister. "What are you doing here?"

"As much as I would love to explain everything, we're goin to have to put that on hold for the moment. We have more pressing matters right now." She tapped on a few keys and pointed towards one of the screens. 

It showed an angle of the room where the party was being held when the auction had started. Dagur spotted their table on the far corner of the screen, he already gone and Hiccup just standing up. As soon as Hiccup disappeared out of sight, the scene changed to another camera just outside the room the auburn had walked out of. Each time Hiccup disappeared from the security camera's eye, Heather switched to another, following him until they reached the sports section of the museum. The angle of the camera was pointing almost directly towards the bathrooms and they could see Hiccup walking towards them before a woman suddenly tripped right in front of him. Hiccup was forced to grab her to keep her from dragging them both to the ground and helped her back onto her feet.

Dagur got a bad feeling when the woman almost fell again as soon as she put weight on one of her feet, Hiccup keeping his hold on her. She must have asked for help or something because the auburn started looking towards the bathrooms and then over the woman's shoulder; doing this once more before wrapping an arm around her waist as she wrapped an arm over his shoulders and the two began walking away in the opposite direction of the bathrooms. Dagur cursed loudly and ran a hand over his mouth, watching as Heather followed the two through the security footage. The dark feeling in his gut grew when he saw they were heading towards the exit, leaving through the front entrance. As Hiccup and the woman began to descend the stairs, a white van pulled up alongside the sidewalk in front of them and Hiccup slowed, hesitating.

The angle the security footage was showing allowed them to see the woman reach into her dress between her breasts and pull out a small syringe.

"Nonononono," Dagur whispered as his stomach clenched painfully. He gasped unintentionally when she plunged the needle into his neck and quickly dispersed whatever was in it into Hiccup.

Hiccup let go of her and stumbled away while holding the side of his neck, struggling to stay on his feet. Whatever she gave him was fast acting and he didn't stand a chance when two men climbed out from the van, grabbed him, and tossed him into the back of the vehicle. After Hiccup was thrown in and the door shut behind him, the two men climbed back into the front of the van and drove off. The woman stayed behind, watching calmly for a moment as they drove away before walking across the street. She disappeared into the darkness of the night, no longer able to follow her or the van.

"Fuck!" Dagur yelled as he kicked a nearby cabinet angrily, dread filling him. "Dammit!"

"Dagur-" Heather started softly, staring up at him apologetically.

"This is not the time to lose yourself and behave like a wild animal," Grimmel cut her off, looking the epitomy of calm when Dagur knew that was not the case. There was a slight waver in his voice as he spoke that was not recognizable to anyone else, but Dagur noticed. He probably wouldn't have if he hadn't known he was Hiccup's uncle. "Right now we need to assemble a team and find where they took Hiccup. Heather..."

"Yes sir. Please excuse me." Heather stood up while taking her phone from her purse that was sitting on the desk next to her and walked out.

"Oh god." Dagur leaned back into the cabinet and slid down onto the floor, anguish and self loathing overcoming him. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't let my bodily needs get the best of me, if I hadn't asked Hiccup to come find me, he would still be here."

"Quit talking as if he's already dead," Grimmel snapped. "Is it you fault he got grabbed? In a way, yes. But both of us had no idea that this would happen. Had I been keeping my eyes on Hiccup then I could have stopped him from being taken, but I didn't. So we're both at fault, but it's no use standing around bellyaching about it."

"So what, we look for him? How?" Dagur huffed and let his head hang down, arms resting over his bent knees. "Call the police?"

"No, he'll be as good as dead if we do."

"So how the fuck do we find him then, huh?! Unless you're some special agent or an ex cop he's fucked!" he snarled while throwing his hands up, glaring at the other.

Grimmel reached into a pocket inside the suit's jacket and pulled out a thin wallet, flipping it open. "Grimmel Lothbroke, Chief of the Secret Intelligence Services, aka MI6."

Dagur gaped at the other, speechless. Fucking, what?! Hiccup wasn't too far off it seemed in his guesses.

"Your sister, Heather, works for me. Not as an agent, but as a recruiter of sorts."

Dagur's jaw dropped a bit more, eyebrows raising even higher before breaking down into maniacl giggling while covering his face, missing the narrowed eyed look of concern he was given by Grimmel. "Oh my gods, Hiccup's gonna shit bricks when he hears that his joke was spot on." He calmed down, wiped the gathering tears from his eyes, and stood up, staring at the other intensely. "We have to get him back."

"We will. Once we have a lead, we'll do everything we can to retrieve him unharmed." Grimmel awkwardly placed a hand on Dagur's shoulder, making the redhead uncomfortable.

"... Please don't do that."

Grimmel immediately took away his hand and placed it behind his back to grab the other hiding behind there. "Yes, it did feel a bit aberrant." He cleared his throat.

Both stood there, looking around the room for what felt like hours while waiting for Heather before Dagur's phone vibrated twice to alert him he had a text message. He pulled it out and saw it was from Hiccup, his heart pounding in his ears as he opened it. He growled lowly, drawing Grimmel's attention, when he saw a picture of his beloved Hiccup tied to a chair, unconscious. Grimmel looked over his shoulder and his frown deepened as his eyes hardened just as another text came in.

*Come to Wilhouse docks, warehouse 2 in two hours if you want him to stay alive. Come alone.*-H

"Hm, now we have a lead," Grimmel murmured as he pulled away, heading for the door. "Come along Dagur, mustn't keep them waiting."

"But what exactly are we going to do? We only have two hours to plan," Dagur snapped, his nerves frayed and scared for Hiccup.

"That's all I need." Grimmel opened the door and left, calling for Heather.

...

*One hour and fifty minutes later*

"Remember the plan?" Grimmel asked as he drove a taxi towards the Wilhouse docks, briefly glancing at Dagur through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah," Dagur mumbled, hands shaking and heart racing. He was terrified. Terrified of messing up and ending Hiccup's life. From the small debriefing they had earlier, Johann was a slippery one that somehow always slithered away from Grimmel and his team. One wrong move and Hiccup was gone.

"Repeat it to me."

"Once you drop me off, I need to let myself get captured and stall as much as I can to allow your team enough time to get into position. Once your team start the raid, I need to bring Hiccup to safety and protect him at all costs." Simple in words, but terrifying to put into actions.

"And?"

Dagur rolled his eyes and looked out the window as they came upon the gate to the docks.

"*And*?" Grimmel repeated, glaring at Dagur through the rearview mirror.

"And myself." Dagur sighed as they came to a slow stop, Grimmel making sure his face was hidden from any cameras. "My life is not as important as Hiccup's right now."

"Can't protect him if you're dead... Go before they come out and spot me. Johann's underlings might not know who I am but I'm not taking any chances."

Dagur let out a shaky sigh and got out, swallowing around the lump in his throat as Grimmel drove away. The man wouldn't be going too far, just enough to keep out of any cameras' visions belonging to the docks before sneaking back along with his team and a few trusted police officers; who knows where Johann has dipped his fingers. Dagur stood in front of the gate of the chain link fenced in property, looking up at the camera to give whoever a clear view of his face. There was a loud buzz before the gate began to slide open, allowing Dagur entrance, but there were no goons waiting for him to drag him towards the warehouses and it worried him. He followed the dirt road towards the large metal buildings in the back of the property, four of them directly in front of him and two more further down.

Even without the numbers painted on the doors of the buildings, Dagur would have known which one he needed to go to. Outside warehouse number two was crawling with Johann's men, handguns shoved in pants and hands cradling rifles. Two of them stiffened at his approach and aimed their weapons at him, waiting, hoping, for him to give them a reason to shoot him. Dagur raised his hands and calmly finished his walk to them while feeling feint on the inside, palms becoming sweaty and breath shakey. He recognized one or two of the men, ones who weren't supposed to be a threat to him, but the one that bothered him the most was grinning like a maniac with his crooked teeth.

"Savage," Dagur growled once in front of him, glaring while allowing two of the men around him to grab ahold of his arms and restrain him without a fight. Motherfucker was supposed to be in jail and Dagur didn't need to guess Johann was responsible for his undoubted escape.

"How the mighty have fallen," Savage smirked, looking positively delighted in Dagur's anger. "Well, you were never mighty to begin with so the fall must not have been all that painful. But it will be after Ryker's through with you." He began chuckling like a madman and turned his back on the redhead, opening the door to the warehouse.

"Ryker? Wait, he's alive?" Dagur really started to panic now as he was pushed by the men holding him through the door, Savage taking the lead. He chuckled to hide the terror he was feeling. "What are you on? It must be good stuff if you forgot that Ryker's dead."

Savage spun on his heels and shoved his face into Dagur's with a snarl. "He's not dead! He's very much alive and has been waiting, hiding, for this day." A smirk reformed on his face as he pulled back. "What's that thing you used to say? Ah yes, payback's a bitch, ain't it?" He chuckled darkly as he turned back around and continued to lead them through the laberynth of highly stacked boxes.

Dagur glared at the back of the man's head and hoped if he did it hard enough the man's head would explode. However, it was physically impossible and he had to watch in displeasure as the man's existence continued. "Yes, it will be," he whispered to himself, hoping a stray bullet will end the man's life before the upcoming raid was over.

The laberynth finally opened up into a large space and Savage stepped aside as Dagur was let go and pushed forward, his eyes finding Hiccup in the center of it all. He felt his blood run cold at the blood running down the auburn's nose and the side of his face from a small cut on his forehead. Hiccup was wide awake, tape covering his mouth, and terrified, but not for himself as none other than Ryker himself stood beside him. Dagur wanted nothing more than to beat the smug grin off the man's face and clenched his fists as anger filled him, but he stayed where he was as ideas on how to stall flooded his mind.

He dropped the glare and smirked daringly before saying, "Honey I'm home!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always drop a comment or kudo and show the love.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the reason for the violence warning is here. Will contain blood and lots of cursing. Thank you all for the support and hope you enjoy.

The first thing Hiccup noticed upon waking up was how his head felt like it was trying to split itself open. The second thing he noticed was his thoughts were a jumbled mess, brain sluggish and barely able to compute on what had happened. Third thing he noticed was that he was sitting up with his head lulled forward, something tight wrapped around his wrists and chest. Forth thing on the list was the cottonmouth and the desperate need for water. Lethargic and unsure, Hiccup groaned as he tried to move, but the thing wrapped around him held him down. Swallowing thickly, Hiccup rolled his head up and opened his eyes blearily before snapping them shut with a hiss as the light sharpened the pain in his head. 

"... too much! He needs to be coherent before Dagur gets here."

"Don't blame me! I'm not the one who dosed him up! Besides it looks like he's coming around anyways."

Hiccup rolled his head towards the voices, sounding like he was underwater. He blinked opened his eyes once more, but everything was fuzzy and distorted. All he could see were two blurs of different sizes.

"Not quick enough," the larger blur gruffed and walked away momentarily before coming back, closer to the auburn than before.

Hiccup was suddenly doused in cold water, making him gasp and straighten up in his seat. The snap of cold helped chase away the stuporous feeling from his mind, helping it become more attentive. He panted at the sudden rush and shook the water from his hair, head still feeling like it was trying to explode. "Fuck..."

"That's better."

There was a clanging sound of something metal being dropped and it echoed painfully in Hiccup's head. He jerked his head towards the noise until he spotted the two men standing just a few feet away from him, a bucket by the larger of the two's feet. The two were looking at him in a way that brought unpleasant shivers down his spine and did his best not to curl up in his chair (wouldn't even be able to if he tried). The smaller of the two was ugly and creepy, but the larger man was recognizable. He was tall, bald with thick black eyebrows above brown eyes, a light beard, and a body similar to Dagur's.

"Ryker," Hiccup breathed out with a hint of confusion. Wasn't he supposed to be dead?

"Ah so you've heard of me," Ryker said with a pleased sneer, arms crossed over his chest.

"Hard not to when your face is plastered all over the news every other month when one of your men gets captured. Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Ugh, his tongue felt heavy and there was a slight slur as he spoke.

Ryker chuckled. "Would have if the bullet had hit an inch more to the right and one of my men hadn't found me."

Hiccup blinked hard as the sudden adrenaline rush from the cold water began to slip away, exhaustion taking over. "Why am I here? What's going on?"

"Bait," the other man replied simply before Ryker could, making the larger man glare at him in distain. "Sorry..."

"Bait? What for?" 

"That drug must have done a number on you or Dagur hasn't told you if you haven't figure it out yet. I thought you were supposed to be smart."

Hiccup gave Ryker a tired glare before closing his eyes and leaning his head back as he tried to clear his mind to think properly. His brain had become fuddled again and it was hard to concentrate, but he only needed a few thoughts to bring the pieces together. "Revenge."

"Yes." Ryker drew out the word, sounding excited at the thought of it.

"Then why am I still alive?" Hiccup lowered his head back down to stare at Ryker blankly, eyes drooping. "If Dagur is already on his way, which I'm sure he is, you don't need me anymore. And aren't you afraid he might get the police involved?"

"But I do. You see, I need him to see you alive before I snuff you out right in front of him, but not before I torture you a bit first." The large man chuckled darkly as he moved to stand directly in front of Hiccup. "I want him to see and hear you as I skin you alive, tear you limb from limb, and harvest your organs. As for the police, well, he won't contact them if he knows what's good for you."

While Hiccup felt fear well itself in him, he kept his face passive and bored. "That doesn't sound very original," he scoffed.

"Excuse me?" The smirk dropped from Ryker's face as his arms fell to his sides.

"It just doesn't seem very creative." Shut up Hiccup... "Oh wait, that was your brother. Shame he's not here to see this." His head jerked back, chair tilting dangerously as pain exploded across the center of his face. A large hand grabbed his shirt to keep him from falling back and Hiccup barely took notice that he was missing his jacket. He felt blood gush down from his nose and over his lips, dripping from his chin to land on his once nice pants and shirt. His nose was sure to be broken by that hit.

"You keep him out of this," Ryker snarled, not yet letting go of Hiccup's shirt.

"Why?" No, don't. Be quiet. "His death is the reason why we're both here tonight. But you shouldn't be blaming Dagur for your and Viggo's mistakes, your brother's the one who chose to end his life." His head jerked to the side this time, his left temple pulsing in agony as he fell onto his side, Ryker letting go of his button up, and yelped when his head made contact with the floor. His vision darkened a bit when his head bounced off the floor and blinked hard to stave off the pounding in his brain.

"You better quit yapping that mouth if you know what's good for you," the larger man hissed, standing over him.

"What's the point, I'm gonna die anyways. Might as well have fun while I'm at it," Hiccup panted, feeling nauseous. He didn't know where this courage was coming from, but it was making him stupid. "Speaking of creativity, who are you working with? I know for a fact you couldn't have done this all by yourself, you're not smart enough. Not like your brother." He stared into Ryker's eyes and grinned toothily, teeth stained with blood. He grunted when the large man pulled the chair back up onto its' legs none too gently.

"You have no self preservation, do you?"

Hiccup blinked slowly at him, grin lessening to a small smirk. "Not in the face of immanent death."

"Of for Odin's sake, I said restrain him not beat him to a pulp!"

Both Hiccup and Ryker looked over the larger man's shoulder, the auburn's smirk dropping as his face paled at the newcomer. 

"He wouldn't stop talking," Ryker replied with a growl, stepping away from Hiccup and turning his body a bit towards the smallish man standing close to Savage. "I thought you said he was smart."

"He is, very much so if he tried. It must be the drugs fogging his brain. Well, at least he's awake enough in time to greet his precious boyfriend."

"...Johann?" Hiccup blinked hard to get rid of the drowsiness in his head and see if what he was looking at was real. But as he opened his eyes and saw the small man standing there, he knew he wasn't dreaming. Oh how he wished he was and wished he could wake up in Dagur's arms right about now.

"Surprise, surprise! But not so much to you it seems," Johann chuckled with a look of distain. "My acting must be slipping."

Ryker rolled his eyes with a glare, crossing his arms once more.

Seeing that Johann was truly a shady person wasn't all that surprising, but seeing him here working along side Ryker was. Hiccup's face couldn't choose what expression to settle on before becoming blank and let his head fall forward out of exhaustion. He should be asking Johann questions, he had many, but at the moment he was too tired to care or even lift his head up. There was a snap of fingers and Hiccup was again shocked awake by the icy cold water being dumped over his head by Savage, washing away most of the blood from his head. He gasped and jerked his head up, choking on the water running down his face that he accidentally inhaled. A trickle of warmth continued from his nose and forehead, dirtying him up once again.

"Can't have you falling asleep again, the fun is just beginning." Johann looked over towards the side, somewhere Hiccup couldn't see, and narrowed his eyes as the sadistic glee from earlier morphed into impatience. "When is Dagur due to be here?"

"Any minute now," Ryker replied, giving what Hiccup guessed was a clock a quick glance before staring at Savage expectantly. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go outside and wait for him."

The underling scowled at being ordered around, but smartly kept his mouth shut as he did what he was told. Hiccup watched him go while shivering in his chair from the cold of the water and chill of the warehouse, giving a few more weak coughs. There was a sound of something ripping before a strip of duct tape was placed roughly over his mouth by Ryker, who was enjoying the action a bit too much, and Hiccup glared at him hatefully. Probably the first time he's felt it so strongly before or ever.

"This should shut you up... now that's a good look on you," Ryker sneered, patting the side of Hiccup's face harshly. "Can't wait to rip it off in front of your boyfriend."

"Save your excitement for when he's actually here," Johann sighed in annoyance, staring at the clock once more and tapping his foot. "Dagur is unpredictable and we don't want the fun to end before it even gets started."

"If Dagur winds up getting himself killed before it starts, we still have his whore and that cop to play with."

Cop? Was there some other poor soul trapped in here with them that they were going to use against Dagur as well? Hiccup felt horrified at the idea of it and prayed that by some miracle this would all end before he or Dagur got seriously hurt. He wished his mouth wasn't taped up so he could convey to his boyfriend that none of this was his fault, something Hiccup was sure Dagur was probably feeling right now. But it really wasn't the redhead's fault, Dagur had no knowledge that Ryker was still alive nor did he know that Johann was working with the mad man. The reason why Johann was working with Ryker was still a mystery that Hiccup should have asked when he had the chance. He got the feeling the smallish man was rather boastful and narcissistic with a big mouth if you got him going.

"Look alive, he's coming," Ryker murmured as a smirk grew over his face.

Sure enough, from out of the boxes lining the space they were in came Dagur being forcefully lead by two other goons before he was pushed further in. The glare on the redhead's face looked like death warmed over as he stared at Hiccup's captors before softening when his eyes landed on the auburn, concern filling them as he took in Hiccup's appearance. It shifted into something darker as he returned the glare back to Johann and Ryker, but then a daring smirk replaced it and Hiccup was a bit confused by it.

"Honey I'm home!" Dagur proceeded to say, spreading his arms wide and looking for all the world that he belonged here. "Ryker, good to see your ugly face alive. Means I get to kill you myself." He stayed where he was as he dropped his arms back to his sides. "And Johann, just heard what happened to your brother, so sorry." The sarcasm was telling enough that he wasn't. 

Johann scowled at Dagur, clenching his fists.

Dagur then turned his attention back to Hiccup. "You ok freckles?"

Hiccup nodded, slowly, the motion making him nauseous.

"Good! Now that I'm here, you can let Hiccup go."

Ryker laughed maliciously with his hands on hips while Johann looked unimpressed. "You honestly thought we were going to let him go?"

"Nope." Dagur popped the p. His pose was relaxed even with all the gunmen hidden around them pointing their weapons at him, looking bored and not giving the gang members the satisfaction that he was scared. "Weeell, maybe a little until I saw you and Johann here. Now I know we're fucked." He took a quick look around the place, searching. "I thought it was some spineless asshole looking for revenge... wasn't too far off."

"I'm going to let that slide for now as you'll be getting what's coming to you soon enough," Johann growled lowly as he clasped his hands in front of him. "Perhaps, if you beg, I'll let your boy go. I'm feeling rather gracious today, must be from all the charity tonight."

Dagur scoffed, unconvinced. "That's a lie if I ever heard one. You wouldn't have brought him here in the first place if you weren't going to kill him, even if you had a change of heart. My guess is, you're going to make me watch as you kill him and then kill me. So cliche."

"You forgot the bit where I torture him first," Ryker said, starting to look annoyed. "It all depends on you on how long it will last. I could make it so he'll survive for days as I tear him to pieces, or do it quickly so it'll only be a couple of hours."

Hiccup felt fear race through him at the thought of being awake and alive as he was skinned and cut apart. It must have shown on his face as Dagur suddenly took a step towards him with a worried frown, but the cocking of a gun from somewhere above them stopped him. The auburn shook his head and mentally urged him to stay put, hoping Dagur wouldn't do something stupid.

"All you have to do is beg," Ryker continued with a pleased hum, smug.

Dagur glared at the man, fists clenching. "Please-"

"Ah ah, on your knees."

Dagur huffed as he slowly kneeled down, bowing his head. "Please, show Hiccup mercy and let him have a painless death." It didn't sound too convincing.

"Hmm, not good enough. Maybe drop the glare, look at me, and beg prettily."

Instead of dropping, the glare intensified as Dagur looked up at him and snarled out, "Fuck you."

Ryker chuckled, shaking his head. He suddenly turned and lashed out, his fist colliding beneath Hiccup's chin and forcing his head back. The chair dipped back dangerously, but did not fall as Ryker placed a boot over Hiccup's lap and pushed the chair back on its' legs. Fresh blood filled his mouth and could do nothing but swallow it as he groaned in pain, eyes clenched shut.

"Hiccup!" Dagur yelled, back on his feet and ready to charge. "You bitch!"

"Finally! A reaction!"

"Stop this nonsense now Ryker," Johann snapped as he pointed a finger into the man's chest. "This is taking too long. Tie him up and start the torture already... Might as well bring the other one out as well."

"You don't tell me what to do," Ryker returned with a sneer, slapping the hand away. 

"I pay you, of course I tell you what to do. You wouldn't have gotten this far without me you stupid fool. You and these men work for me."

"But they're loyal to me."

"Hm, are they? Wag a price tag in front of their faces and they'll easily switch to the one who will pay them the most. Are you willing to bet your life on their *loyalty*? We both may have the same agenda, but there is no we in this scenario."

A shot rang out through the warehouse, making everyone jump while Dagur yelped, hopping a step back from where a bullet had struck the ground; closer to them than he was seconds ago. The fight forgotten about for the moment, Johann yelled at the members around them to hold their fire for Valhalla's sake while Ryker strode towards Dagur angrily and took out the gun hidden in the back of his pants to point it towards the redhead. Motioning the hand holding the gun for Dagur to move, Ryker lead the redhead at gun point towards Hiccup. A forgotten Savage was placing another chair a little ways from Hiccup, facing it towards the auburn while another goon was wheeling out a struggling and yelling person tied to a hand truck.

"I swear, once I get out of this I'm going to fucking kill you! You lowlife scumbags!" the man tied to the hand truck all but screamed, muffled by the bag over his head. "Show me your faces you fucking cowards!"

Hiccup watched as they placed the hand truck a few feet next to him and wondered who this poor man could be, he certainly had some spirit to him. Hiccup gave Dagur a quick glance only to do a double take when he saw the other's expression. Absolute horror covered Dagur's face as he paled, stilling just beside his own chair and forcing Ryker to push him down into it. The bag was then taken off to reveal the man hidden beneath it, making him blink rapidly from the sudden light before scowling upon seeing Ryker and Johann. The man had strawberry blond hair on the top of his head that was pulled back into a ponytail at the nap of his neck with the sides shaved and scruff covering his chin. 

"You," he growled at Ryker as he struggled in his bindings to no avail. "I hesitated the first time, I won't make the same mistake twice."

"What makes you think I'll allow you the chance?" the large man chuckled as he took the rope Savage had grabbed for him, tying Dagur to the chair. "I don't want a second souvenir, I almost died from the last. But maybe I'll give Dagur here one once I'm through with you, but *I* won't miss." He tightened the ropes roughly, making the redhead grunt in pain.

The stranger's eyes widened when they took notice of Dagur, astonishment and fear contorting his handsome features. "Dagur?"

"Hey, long time no see," Dagur mumbled, giving Ryker a quick glare.

"What are you doing here? What's going on?" 

"What do you think I'm doing here? Assholes wants revenge, assholes does whatever it takes to get it. Just didn't think you would be involved since we're not together anymore."

Hiccup's eyes widened in realization at who exactly was tied up next to him. He stared at the man, Throk, in bewilderment and gave his appearance another once over, seeing the appeal. The gruff voice, the athletic body, the soft brown eyes; Throk was a looker. Feeling Hiccup's stare, Throk glanced over towards him and raised an eyebrow, giving him a worrying look. Hiccup didn't blame him, his eye was beginning to swell and there was blood most likely all over his face, plus he was still dreary from the affects of the drugs.

"Who's this?" Throk asked hesitantly as he turned his gaze back towards Dagur.

"Hiccup, my boyfriend."

The strawberry blond snapped his head back to Hiccup, both eyebrows raised and eyes wide in shock. Instead of a look of sadness or jealousy at Dagur moving on, Throk smiled lightly and nodded, pleased. "Ah, good. You moved on."

"Hard not to when someone like him appears in your life," Dagur replied softly, winking at Hiccup fondly, making the auburn roll his eyes in amusement.

"Ugh, enough of this," Johann groaned in irritation. "Let's get on with it."

"Not gonna boast to the prisoners on your success and blab about why you're doing this? I'm surprised," Ryker snarked.

Johann ignored him as he snapped his fingers with a scowl. Savage jerked to attention and scampered off somewhere behind Hiccup, steps echoing off the ceiling and boxes. The man came back, pushing a metal cart in front of him with a multitude of surprisingly clean instruments meant for the purpose on what would happen tonight. Hiccup shivered at the sight of them as his breath quickened when Ryker picked up a sharp looking surgical knife, twirling it around his fingers a few times as he first moved towards Throk then Hiccup. Ryker laughed softly to himself at the fear Hiccup was unable to hide and pointed the knife at him.

"Who should I start with first? Boyfriend number one or boyfriend number two." Ryker pointed the knife towards Throk while stepping close to the strawberry blond, sliding the blade down a cheek. Throk stayed completely still and held the other's gaze with a glare, not even flinching when the blade nicked his skin (why wasn't Dagur reacting, did he no longer care for Throk?). "Eeny, meeny, miny-" Ryker flipped the knife so he was fisting it with the blade down and slammed it down into Hiccup's shoulder. "Moe."

Hiccup screamed behind the tape covering his mouth, eyes widening before slamming shut, fists clenching on the armrests, and head tossing back.

"Motherfucker!" Dagur screeched as he jerked around in his bindings, trying to escape and failing. "I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

Ryker laughed darkly as he pulled the knife out, making Hiccup gasp sharply through his nose as tears dripped down his cheeks. "There it is, that's what I wanted. Maybe bringing boyfriend number one along wasn't such a fun idea if he's going to be quiet the whole time. But I do like a challenge." He moved so he was directly in front of Hiccup and deciding on where to stab or slice next. "However, I don't have the patience right now, so we'll start with you."

"You fucking dickwad, touch him again and I'll rip your fucking face off!" Dagur shouted as he increased his struggles, his chair tipping from side to side.

"Oooh, you mean... like thiiis?" He pointed the knife at Hiccup's right thigh and slowly dug in, twisting it about.

Hiccup threw his head back and screamed while trying to move away from the pain. Dimly he could hear his boyfriend shouting and Throk yelling obscenities, but all he could focus on was the sharp burning pain in his leg. The knife was taken out with a squelch and the tape around his mouth was ripped off easily, losing its' stickiness from all the blood, sweat, and tears. Hiccup gasped rapidly as a panic attack was beginning to settle in, groaning and hissing in pain from the wound in his shoulder and thigh. His vision was beginning to darken from hyperventilating and his brain could no longer make any coherent thought, tears gushing from his eyes.

"Hiccup?! Hiccup!" Dagur's panicked voice cut through the agony in Hiccup's mind and the auburn blinked his eyes hard as tried to focus on the redhead. "Come on freckles, breathe. Hurry up dammit (why is he looking around at the ceiling?) It's going to be ok."

Ryker threw his head back as he burst into loud guffaws. "Are you stupid?! Where did you get that rediculous nonsense? There's no one coming to save you. By the time someone finds you, you'll be nothing but dog scraps by the time I'm done with you three."

Hiccup let out a sob through his panting and squinted his eyes closed. He was scared, terrified, for Dagur and for what would become of his and the redhead's parents after they find out their sons had been taken and killed. Odin knows Hiccup's mother would be absolutely devestated, especially at how he died and poor Trish; Hiccup really liked her. She may be Dagur's stepmother, but she loved him like he was her own son and treated him as such. And Heather! Poor sweet Heather, how would she take her only brother being taken from her? She acted so strong and independent, but Hiccup could tell Dagur was her entire world other than her work. This couldn't be happening, it shouldn't be, and yet here they are in the back of a filthy warehouse that smelt of rotten fish with no way out.

"What should I do next?" Ryker mumbled to himself as he dropped the blade onto the cart. His hand hovered over the tools before stoping on what looked like a small ice cream scooper, picking it up with a demented grin. "How about those eyes; people will pay good money for them."

"No! Nononono!! Don't hurt him please! He hasn't don't anything wrong! Leave him alone!" Dagur cried out desperately, tears starting to gather in his own eyes. "Dammit, where the fuck are you..."

"I'm afraid you're too late in the begging and if you're waiting for Odin to come save you, you're fucked in that department." Ryker grinned maliciously as he stalked over to Hiccup with the scooper. "Savage, hold his head back and make sure he doesn't move."

"Yes sir." Savage quickly moved behind Hiccup and grabbed the hair at the back of his head to pull it back, making the auburn gasp loudly in pain. Savage's other hand gripped his jaw and held it steadily in a strong hold, smirking down at Hiccup. 

As both Dagur and Throk yelled and screamed while struggling in their binds, Johann watching from the sidelines quietly in amusement, Ryker stood next to Hiccup and forced an eye open when the auburn tried to shut them. The large man peered down at him with unrestrained glee as he brought the device closer to Hiccup's eye, the auburn unable to pull away no matter how hard he tried. All Hiccup could do was watch as it came closer and closer torturously slow to his eye, tears escaping down the side of his face as his breath quickened.

There was a quiet squelch above him and Savage was suddenly crumbling to the ground like a rag doll. Hiccup immediately moved his head away from the scooper once Savage's hands let go and looked over his shoulder to see blood pooling beneath the man's head. Glass above them came raining down as men dressed in all black slid down on ropes through the sunroofs, guns drawn and pointed at Johann and his men. More men dressed in black came thundering through the stacks of boxes, pushing out the goons hidden within them.

"Get down on the ground, you're under arrest!" one of the men closest to Johann yelled.

Both Ryker and Johann looked around them in surprise at first before glaring down at them and raising their hands up in surrender. Johann's scowl deepened when a tall figure still dressed in his evening suit waltzed out from the boxes, looking quite bored. Hiccup's own eyes widened in befuddlement at the sight of his uncle walking over to them, even more so when Dagur didn't seem all that surprised by the white haired man's appearance. The redhead actually looked quite relieved yet angry at the same time.

"'Bout fucking time! What the hell took so long?" Dagur grumbled as Grimmel swiped out a nice sized knife from out of nowhere and cut him free.

Grimmel ignored him as he moved towards Hiccup, cutting him free as well, but did not attempt to help him as Dagur had already stood up to do so, before moving on to Throk, who nodded in thanks. The white haired waved a hand sharply and two of his men came forward to restrain Johann and Ryker, who were glaring angrily at Grimmel. Dagur stepped around them so he could help Hiccup out of the chair and placed one of the auburn's arms over his shoulder to keep him off his hurt leg. Throk moved to Hiccup's other side and raised a questioning brow which Dagur shook his head at, whispering that he got it. The strawberry blond nodded and limped over to a few men, or women (who knows with them dressed like that), who were holding first aid kits.

Johann was still as he was cuffed with his delicate hands in front of him, but Ryker began to struggle as soon as he was touched.

"No! This isn't over! I will not go down before I finish what I started!" the large man yelled as more people began to restrain him. "You'll get what's coming to you Dagur! You're dead! I will kill you!"

Dagur paid no attention to him as he helped Hiccup over towards the medics. But as they passed by Johann, out of the corner of his eye, Hiccup saw the smallish man move for the first time since the raid, elbowing the man restraining him. Without thinking, Hiccup used whatever strength he had left and pushed Dagur to the side just as two rapid shots rang out followed by two more; pain erupting in his chest in stomach. Hiccup dropped like a sack of potatoes onto his back, gasping at the pain as something wet began to spill over and around him. It was becoming hard to breathe as his lungs began to fill with fluid and he realized that he just got shot, twice. Relief filled him that he was able to push Dagur out of the way in time.

"Hiccup!" Dagur screamed in terror as he dropped down onto his knees beside Hiccup, taking off his jacket and covering up the hole in his chest. His eyes widened when he saw the second one in his stomach. "Nononono, no. Hiccup, fuck, no I..."

"Keep pressure on his chest, I'll get his stomach," Throk ordered calmly as he took off his shirt to stop the blood in his abdomen, but his eyes were wild with fear.

Hiccup cried out in agony as the two of them applied pressure to his wounds, tears rolling down his temples. Grimmel's figure appeared in his blurring vision and he could faintly hear the man yelling for an ambulance as the makeshift medics of his uncle's team moved in to replace Dagur and Throk. The redhead was shaking his head and mumbling no over and over as they told him to move before Throk mumbled something in his ear and Dagur finally gave up his position. He moved until he was sitting near Hiccup's head, petting his hair softly.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup," Dagur whispered through quiet sobs. "I'm so sorry..."

Hiccup shook his head, which he instantly regretted, and raised a shaking hand to cup one of Dagur's cheeks. The redhead leaned his head into it and placed one of his own over it. "D-dont be. It's... It's not y-your fault. Don't... don't ever t-think that," he mumbled, expecting blood to start poring out of his mouth as he did so. But this wasn't a movie and there was no dramatic blood spilling from his lips due to the holes in his body. "You d-did noth-nothing wrong. I love you."

"I love you too. You need to quit talking, save your strength."

"Sing to me... please."

Dagur tried to smile for him, but it came off more as a grimace. "Any requests?"

"Don' c-care, just... want to he-hear you sing." His breathing became labored and wet sounding.

"I'll sing if you quit talking, ok?" Dagur's bottom lip trembled as he wiped away auburn locks from Hiccup's forehead, tears trailing down his cheeks.

"'k..."

Dagur swallowed thickly. "Take me back to my boat on the river, I need to go down, I need to come down. Take me back to my boat on the river and I won't cry out any more."

Ah, Hiccup liked this song. He's only heard Dagur sing it a few times during car rides, but he liked the lyrics and the sound of the music even though it sometimes made him sad. His hand resting on his boyfriend's face relaxed in Dagur's hand and allowed him to hold it.

"Time stands still as I gaze in her waters. She eases me down, touching me gently with the waters that flow past my boat on the river so I don't cry out anymore. Oh the river is wide, the river it touches my life like the waves on the sand. And all roads lead to Tranquillity Base where the frown on my face disappears. Take me down to my boat on the river and I won't cry out anymore."

Hiccup's blinks started to become longer the more time passed, darkness invading his sight as the sounds around him started to become dull. He could barely hear Dagur anymore and for a moment thought his boyfriend was whispering, but even through his heavy brain he knew he was dying. He let out a choked off sob at the thought and opened his eyes wider to stay awake, not wanting this to be the last time he saw Dagur. The redhead had paused for a moment at the sound, but kept going at the look Hiccup gave him.

"Oh the river is deep, the river it touches my life like the waves on the sand. And all roads lead to Tranquillity Base where the frown on my face disappears. Take me down to my boat on the river I need to go down. Won't you let me go down? Take me back to my boat on the river and I won't cry out anymore. And I won't cry out anymore. And I won't cry out anymore...."

Hiccup's lids had drooped a bit by the time Dagur had finished and was about to ask for another when suddenly the redhead was pushed aside and Hiccup was being picked up and placed on a stretcher. Real medics were there, carrying him through the mass of boxes with Dagur at his side and placed inside an ambulance. He could hardly understand anything that was being said anymore, but he started to relax when he realized that he was safe now. That Dagur was safe. Exhausted and hurting, Hiccup allowed the darkness to finally take over and fell into it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh nooooo! I'm definitely dead this time aren't I? So as I did some research, apparently, no blood comes pouring out of your mouth when stabbed or shot in the torso area, too busy pouring out through the newly made holes in your body. So thanks Hollywood for all the lies!
> 
> As always, please leave a kudo or comment, show the love.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness guys, I'm still in disbelief at how long this story had become. It was supposed to be a oneshot or short story, but it more than got away from me. I hope you guys have enjoyed this as much as I have, thank you all for the support.
> 
> Ok, as I was adding the chapter. I noticed my italics or bold wording didn't take. So the ones with the single *..* stars means present and those with double stars **.** means past. Sorry about that.

*"... Male. Twenty-five years old. Bullet wounds to the chest and lower abdomen. Hand me those shears so I can-"*

*Beepbeepbeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

*"Shit! He's going into cardiac arrest! Get me-"*

....

**"Welcome to Dagur's Flower Boutique, anything in particular you looking for?"**

**"Out of your depth I'm guessing?"**

**That smile. Such a beautiful smile.**

...

*Sir? Sir! You need to stay back. You cannot come back with us."*

*"But I need to be by his side!"*

*"And you will once he's stable, but he needs surgery now."*

*"Don't worry ma'am, I'll handle this. You go and do what you need to do."*

*"Please, I need to go with him."*

*"And you will be with him just as..."*

...

***"Heya freckles, it's me! Flower shop guy!"**

...

*"He's stable for now, but the first night will be fifty-fifty."*

*"May I stay with him?"*

*"... I don't see why not?"*

...

**"Do this with all your costumers?"**

**"Only the cute ones."**

...

*"...vitals are good. Should be able to take the tube out today and leave it out if he can handle breathing on his own again."*

*"What can we do?"*

*"Talk to him. Hold his hand."*

...

**"I like spending time with you, you're a pretty cool person."**

**"If I weren't so new at this, I wouldn't be freaking about it so much. But since owning a business and moving to a new place has racked up my nerves, I'm constantly feeling like my flower arrangements aren't good enough. Having a second opinion helps with that."**

**"...your freckles are one of the first things I noticed about you, seconded to that being your eyes."**

**"I wasn't quite in love with him, but I was getting there. Our relationship wasn't... conventional though. We had to hide our relationship for a long time and it was beginning to get to both of us not being able to hold hands or kiss in public, let alone actually be seen together."**

**"But just to clarify, during this waiting period, would we share some sexy times together or do we need to rely on our hands?"**

...

*"Thank you for being here Throk... I don't. I didn't..."*

*"For you Dagur, anything. I still think of you as a close friend despite how our relationship ended."*

*"How's... How's Mala?"*

*"Pregnant... Cranky. Terrifying."*

...

**"Getting to be spend time with you, wether or not words are shared, is all I could ever ask for."**

**"I don't want to set the world on fire, I just want to start a flame in your heart. In my heart I have but one desire and that one is you, no other will do."**

**"Hiccup, I care for you deeply and the thought of you ever getting hurt by me scares me. There are some things from my past I'm terrified to share with you for fear it might force you away from me and it scares me. I know I will have to tell you eventually, especially when we do start dating, and I know I need to tell you soon."**

...

*"Don't blame yourself, Dagur. None of this was your fault. None of you knew this would happen."*

*"But your son-"*

*"Did a very brave thing and protected you because he loves you. And I know you love him too. Now go get something to eat and wash up."*

*"But-"*

*"Boy! You get yourself in that shower and clean up! I had Stoic buy some clothes and he should be here with them soon. You're parents are eating, so should you."*

*"...Thank you."*

...

**"I would ask if you're stalking me, but that would be too much of a dream come true if it was."**

**"A beautiful flower for a beautiful man."**

...

*"Someone's rocking my dreamboat, someone's invading my dreams. We were sailing along, peaceful and calm, suddenly something went wrong. Someone's rocking my dreamboat, disturbing a beautiful dream-"*

*"I never knew you could sing."*

*"... Don't really like sharing it."*

*"He must be special if you do with him."*

*"He is... Very much so."*

...

**"I like you a lot and when we do have sex, I want it to be out of love and not out of some hasty, sloppy drunken desire to get into each other's pants. But I can't..."**

**"Never, never, never say never. Ne dis jamais jamais. Better, better believe in forever and it can be that way. You think that too much joy can only bring pain. Before you know it, it can be gone, but give me a chance to prove you're wrong. You'll never say never again."**

**"I love you too. Odin knows it's too early to say something like that after knowing each other a month. But dammit, I fucking love you."**

...

*"Thank you for everything Grimmel, I don't think we would have survived without you."*

*"No you wouldn't have. But I wouldn't have been able to capture Johann with enough discriminating evidence without you. So... Yes, hm."*

*"Hold on... **That** was what took you so long to intervene?"*

*"Partly... I'll go now. Call me through Heather if you need anything."*

*"Hopefully I won't."*

*"Quite."*

...

**"Maybe you can show me what you want. Return the favor of what I did to you this morning. Possibly give me a few hickies as well, make my nipples red."**

**"I've never seen her look so cold before. I've asked her about her job several times before, but this is the first time she's made herself look completely blank. It doesn't look right on her."**

**"You're so much more than you think. So beautiful, smart, amazing, funny, imaginative, lovely inside and out. I love you so much."**

...

*"Thank you, Hiccup, for protecting my son. You're my hero, but I won't tell you when you're awake because I know it'll make you uncomfortable. I'm so glad Dagur found you and that you decided to keep him. If he doesn't ask you to marry him in the next year, I will put him in a choke hold until he does."*

*"Mom!"*

...

**"These feelings I have for you are so intense it makes me feel like my heart might pound right out of my chest. I always want to touch you and kiss you, make you mine in any way imaginable."**

**"You just can't let it run your life and hold you back because of what may or may not happen. And if you ever need to talk about what your feeling, I'm right here to listen to you if that's all you need. I can't guarantee I'll say what you want to hear, but I also can't guarantee if I'll be able to give good advice. Odin knows I'm a bit of a basket case."**

**"As soon as they started the investigation, I told them everything. Why I stayed, how some things really happened, and what my position in the gang was. It was then I started working for the FBI as a mole, gathering enough information to bring the brothers and all the other gang branches down. It... this was how I met Throk. He was my handler for three years."**

...

*"She says, we've got to hold on to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot for love. We'll give it a shot. Woah, we're half way there. Woah, livin' on a prayer. Take my hand, we'll make it I swear. Woah, livin' on a prayer."*

*

...

**"We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine."**

**"You are definitely not dull. You're just not as fast paced as everyone else and I think we can learn a thing or two on how to slow down and enjoy the moment. Who knows what we miss."**

**"There are so many things I want to do to you but don't know where to start. And there's so many things I want you to do to me that I can't make up my mind on what exactly I want to happen tonight."**

...

*"Thanks for the food maman."*

*"You're welcome hun, you haven't eaten in two days."*

*"I can't leave his side, I need to be here when he wakes up."*

*"You won't be here if you let yourself waste away. Go take another shower, I'll stay until you're done."*

*"... Ok, thanks."*

*"Mhm. Love you mon bébé."*

...

**"B-b-b-b bass me baby, b-b-b-b bass me baby, baaaass meeee! T-t-t take me baby, taste me baby, baaaaasss meeee!"**

**"Where's the alcohol? If I'm going to have to listen to pompous talk and condescending laughter, I want to do it while drunk."**

**"Je t'aime, Hiccup. Tu me rends fou et je te veux. Je veux te faire l'amour et toi à moi."**

...

*"Hiccup, please wake up. I'm scared. Scared that I'm never going to see those pretty green eyes again. Never see you smile. Tell you how much I love you. We've only known each other two months and recently moved in together, but it feels like it's been years. You are my world, Hiccup. My everything, I don't know if I can go on without you. You've consumed every part of me until I can think of nothing but you. I love you, so much. Please come back to me."*

...

**"You're outrageously smart, kind, funny, a bit sassy with the most interesting things to say. You don't like small talk, but you can talk for hours about something you're passionate about, especially if the person you're talking to likes the same thing. You don't take shi-uh crap from anyone if you don't have to and you always try to leave a good impression on others."**

**"I love you."**

...

*"I love you, Hiccup. Please wake up."*

...

**"I want him to see and hear you as I skin you alive, tear you limb from limb, and harvest your organs."**

**Pain, anger, blood. So much hate and so scared.**

**"Now that I'm here, you can let Hiccup go."**

**Pain, pain, pain. Someone help.**

**"I could make it so he'll survive for days as I tear him to pieces, or do it quickly so it'll only be a couple of hours."**

**It hurts... Somebody help me!**

**"Nononono, no. Hiccup, fuck, no I..."**

**Dagur, help me!**

**"You need to quit talking, save your strength."**

**Someone help me!**

...

For the first time in six days, Hiccup opened his eyes with a gasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dreamboat by the Ink Spots
> 
> Living on a prayer by Bon Jovi
> 
> Mon bebe- my baby
> 
> As always, leave a kudo or comment, show the love.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness guys, this is the last chapter before the epilogue. Thanks for sticking with me and for all the support. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Hiccup woke with a frightened gasp, eyes snapping open and looking around frantically as his fists clenched handfuls of on either side of him. There was something covering his mouth, forcing fresh air into him, but he was able to ignore that in favor of hearing an annoying beeping sound that sped up with each passing second as sweat gathered over his forehead. His breathing picked up as his body began to shake from fear as he had no clue on where he was. Oh Thor, he could be back with Johann and Ryker. What happened? He couldn't remember after Dagur was captured. A few flashes of pain first on his shoulder then thigh, four loud bangs with more pain in his chest and stomach. Then after that, nothing. Was there singing? Hiccup's eyes began to blur a bit more with tears at the thought of Dagur. Where was Dagur? What happened to him? Was he killed?

The sound of a toilet flushing and a door opening alerted Hiccup that he wasn't alone and tried sitting up, only to yelp in agony as his eyes slammed shut and fell back down as pain coursed through him. There was a gasp and a hand was suddenly there, cupping his cheek, and another gripping his shoulder softly. Then, the most amazing sound filtered through the haze, making Hiccup's eyes snap open.

"Hiccup? Oh gods, you're ok shhh. You're alright. It's me, Dagur. It's ok. Everything's gonna be ok."

Hiccup stared up at the red blur that could only be Dagur leaning over him and let out a choked off sob, slowly reaching a hand up to touch Dagur's face. He didn't have his glasses and his contacts must have been taken out, leaving him a bit blind. He felt the start of a beard on the other's face and something wet dripping over his fingers. "Dagur?" his voice cracked, throat sore and dry.

"It's me, we're alright. You're ok." Dagur sniffed and kissed the palm of Hiccup's hand. "Gods, Hiccup, I was so scared, I thought I lost you."

"What-what happened?" Hiccup dropped his hand tiredly while the other rubbed at his eyes. 

"Hold on," Dagur moved away and shuffled through something before coming back and placed something over the auburn's eyes, Hiccup's vision clearing. "There we go. Better?"

Hiccup adjusted his glasses until they settled better on his nose, the oxygen mask covering up his nose and mouth with the straps hooking over his ears made it uncomfortable. He grinned up at him, looking at his beard. "Yes, thank you... Nice beard, makes you look rugged." 

"This is the nicest its' ever looked." Dagur rubbed a hand over his jaw and smirked. "You don't look too bad yourself.

Hiccup chuckled as he felt along his own jaw. Sure enough, the beginning of a beard was covering the lower half of his face. "Soo... I'm assuming we're in a hospital if that annoying sound that's telling me I'm alive is anything to go by. And this thing on my face-can I take it off?"

"I'm afraid not, at least, not until I grab a nurse. Want me to go call one?"

"No... no, not yet. I just woke up and I don't want anyone else right now but you. This isn't a dream, is it?"

Dagur gave a sad smile and shook his head as he gently grabbed Hiccup's hand and held it. "No, not a dream. I'm here and you're safe."

Hiccup squeezed his hand and let out a deep sigh, his body relaxing. "So..."

"So."

"Mind telling me what happened, starting with why and how I was captured? I mean, I know why... somewhat, but maybe give me the specifics."

The beginning of a grin dropped and Dagur rubbed a hand over his mouth, looking away for a moment towards the door before stepping back to grab a chair and set it next to Hiccup's bed. "Probably need to go further back than that. As you noticed, Ryker isn't dead, well... wasn't dead. He survived somehow and found out that the raid was a set up and that I was a mole for the FBI. After the death of his brother Viggo, he set out to destroy me, but didn't have the men or resources to do so."

"That's where Johann came in. Yes?" Hiccup didn't mean to interrupt, unintentionally blurting out his thoughts as the bulb in his head lit up.

Dagur didn't seem to mind and nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, during the raid, Johann's brother was there and got killed during the shooting."

"And Johann wanted his revenge as well..."

"Yup. Apparently, Johann was more than a trader and used the whole technological trader spiel as a face to hide what was really going on behind the scenes. He and Drago were smugglers, moving things from weapons to humans and making a profit off of it. But when Drago died, Johann found Ryker somehow and formed an alliance, giving Ryker the man power and money to get to me without getting caught. Course, they didn't expect that your uncle was on to them and had been after Johann for several years now."

"Wait wait wait, what do you mean my uncle was after him?" Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed as his eyes closed, fingers rubbing his temples. "I remember my uncle being there... what does he have anything to do with this?"

"Your uncle runs MI6."

Hiccup sat up as his eyes widened in surprise, ignoring the pain. "What?!"

"Odin, Hiccup! Lay back down before you hurt yourself more than you already are!" Dagur stood from his chair and helped Hiccup back down onto the bed.

Hiccup winced as the pain in his stomach and chest intensified, breathing heavily. He let his body relax into the bed and felt stupid for sitting up like that, but he was cut off guard by what the other had said that he couldn't help it. "Fuck...ow. So my u-uncle runs MI6? What the fuck..."

"Yeah... you doing ok?" Dagur sat back down and wiped Hiccup's bangs away from his eyes.

"No... keep going."

"... Heather works for Grimmel as a recruiter."

Hiccup slowly turned his head towards Dagur with narrow eyes. Seeing the other wasn't joking, he blinked several times before rubbing at his face. "What the *fuck*?" He giggled suddenly and covered his face, confused on why he was finding it funny.

Dagur huffed out a small chuckle and moved his hand back down to Hiccup's, grasping it once more. "Yeah. Your mom was also an MI6 agent before she married Stoic. She and Grimmel worked together back before he ran the agency."

Hiccup dropped his hands and stared at Dagur with wide eyes. "No..."

"Yes. She never told you to keep you safe, so don't be angry with her. I'll let her explain herself whenever she gets back. Anyways, Johann had found out we were dating and dug up as much information about you. Friends, family, skills, hobbies. When he learned that Tuffnut was your friend and found out about the charity, he knew Tuff would invite you and you would then invite me and then contacted Tuff, seeing this as his chance to finally put his plan of revenge into action. Your mother sent Grimmel to keep an eye on both of us when she heard Johann was going to be at the party."

"Didn't work very well it seemed..." Hiccup grumbled, unable to push aside his feeling of contempt for his mother and uncle. How could she (he meant they) not tell him after all these years?!

Dagur sighed at the attitude, but chose not to comment on it. "Well, your uncle figured out what we were about to do in the bathroom and didn't want to sit there and wait while we have sex. Johann took the opportunity by using a woman pretending to be hurt to get to you. She used some kind of drug that put you to sleep rather quick and you were taken to a warehouse at the docks. But before they grabbed you, they had kidnapped Throk the day before from his home. They wanted to torture the two most important people in my life and make me watch, make me suffer as they had suffered by the loss of their brothers. Then all that bullshit happened, Grimmel saved the day (barely), and then... And then... You got shot saving my life."

Dagur let his head drop, using a free hand to rub at his eyes as he sniffled. Hiccup remove his hand from Dagur's to rest it over his head, running fingers through thick locks of red hair. The stress of the event and the fear of losing Hiccup must have weighed Dagur's shoulders down terribly and now that he really looked at him, the redhead looked terrible. Regret and self blame was written all over him, from the look in his eyes to the defeated slump of his shoulders. Dark circles surrounded his eyes and his skin looked rather pale. It could be possible that he hadn't eaten since they've been here, but it was hard to tell.

"Dagur, don't you dare start blaming yourself for something you couldn't control or didn't know was going to happen," Hiccup whispered softly, but commandingly. "It was not your fault. I don't blame you for anything that happened. I saved you because I love you and if that meant getting shot, I'd do it all again."

Dagur pressed his forehead into the bed next to Hiccup's hip, shoulders shaking as he began sniffling. Hiccup continued to pet his hair as he let him cry, tearing up himself and doing his best to contain it for the redhead's sake. Dagur tried to muffle himself by shoving his face into the bed, but Hiccup could hear it all the same. After a moment, Dagur raised his head, face red and wet, and grabbed the hand in his hair to bring it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to Hiccup's knuckles, quieting his sobs, as he stared into the auburn's eyes. Hiccup watched him sadly, unsure on what to say to make it all better because there wasn't anything that could make this better. Not right now and not for a while.

"I almost lost you," Dagur whispered into Hiccup's hand, closing his eyes as fresh tears fell.

"I know-"

"No, I almost *lost* you. Twice. Once in the ambulance and once during surgery."

Oh. Oh Odin.

"You... You almost didn't come back the second time." Dagur choked off another sob and whined miserably as he pressed his forehead against the back of Hiccup's hand. 

Hiccup swallowed back his own sob and grimaced. Gods, no wonder Dagur looked the way he did. Hiccup would be much the same if the roles were reversed. "Dagur, c'mere."

Dagur opened his eyes, red and swollen, and jerked out of his chair when Hiccup began to try to make room for him. When Dagur went to hold him still, Hiccup smacked his hands away weakly and slowly, inch by painful inch, scooched over just enough to allow Dagur room to lay down on his side. He was panting and groaning by the time he was done and patted the empty space in invitation to which Dagur took carefully, slipping in beside Hiccup and laying on his side facing the auburn. He kept himself up on an elbow so he could look down at Hiccup and run the fingers of his free hand down over Hiccup's chest until they rested over the auburn's beating heart.

"I'm here, Dagur. I'm here. Thank you for sticking by my side, but you need to sleep now." Hiccup really did not like those circles around Dagur's eyes nor the red vains crawling through the whites of them. "Lay your head and go to sleep."

"But what if something happens if I do?" Panic began to settle in Dagur's gaze and the need to stay awake was renewed.

Hiccup smiled gently and placed a hand over Dagur's. "You said before mom would be back and I'm sure she's not the only one who's here other than you and her. They can watch over me while you sleep."

"But-"

"Dagur, sleep. Please? For me."

The redhead pursed his lips as his resolve crumbled, giving in. "Fine... But wake me up if something happens."

"Ok." He most likely wouldn't if he had anything to say about it, wanting his boyfriend to catch up on as much sleep as possible. But if something serious did happen that required Dagur's attention, Hiccup would.

Dagur laid his head down on the pillow beside Hiccup's and closed his eyes, snapping them open a few times to make sure Hiccup was still there. It took a short amount of time before Dagur was breathing softly, face relaxed, and drool beginning to slip out from the corner of his mouth. The auburn wanted nothing more than to turn onto his side and press his back against the other's chest, but he was sure his body would protest greatly thanks to the state it was currently in and settled for placing a hand on Dagur's hip. Now if there was a way for him to sit up without hurting himself or waking up Dagur...

...

It was hurling rain outside, big fat droplets hitting the window as the clouds darkened the once sunny sky. It happened in a matter of minutes, not even starting off slowly as a forewarning and got right into it. Hiccup loved this kind of rain where there was no wind, lightening, or thunder; just water power washing the earth as if it was trying to rid itself of all the human grime it had collected since its' last good rainfall. Hiccup didn't mean to allow his thoughts to turn dark, but after what happened, he figured he deserved a free pass. Rain tended to bring these sad thoughts up to the surface despite his love for the heavy fall. And this stupid thing on his face was not helping.

Ten minutes had passed since Dagur had fallen asleep, five since the rain started, and Hiccup was becoming more upset by the minute. With nothing to distract him, he replayed the events over and over in his head and flashes of pain and blood after being shot resurfaced; the horror written on Dagur's face. He couldn't even begin to understand the fright that the redhead had been going through since Hiccup was kidnapped and almost killed. Their roles would have to be reversed in order for that to happen and Hiccup was unwilling to think about that, not wanting to invision his boyfriend like this. Even if he did, thinking it and going through it were two different things and the pain wouldn't be the same.

During the short time since his beloved fell asleep, Hiccup took the chance to look around the room he was being held in. It was large with a nice sized flat screen TV in front of him on the wall, a wardrobe off in a corner of the room, the walls painted a tea green instead of the awful bright white; he was in a high-end private room in some kind of hospital that provided the 'best' care. The windowsill and the table beneath it had flowers, cards, and a gift basket covering the surfaces with balloons tied to the legs of the table. Other than that, the space was fairly sparse...

The door hidden behind Dagur's large frame and the curtain wrapped halfway around the bed opened, light footsteps and a sigh followed before the door closed. Whoever had entered dropped something onto the floor or on another chair with a soft thud and made their way towards his bed. The curtain moved as they walked around it closely and Hiccup immediately felt his heart pick up as he tried to control his breathing, eyes wide in anticipation on who was on the other side. Johann and Ryker were supposedly gone, but what if by some chance they escaped and were there to finish the job? Hiccup clenched his fists in the sheets as the person reached the end of the curtain, only to keep going until they were standing in front of the window with their back to him.

Hiccup recognized them immediately and gasped out a quiet sob. "Mom?"

Valka jerked her head to look over her shoulder and gasped upon seeing her son awake, looking at her. "Hiccup?" Her voice was soft and shocked, eyes wide and rimmed red from crying. "Oh, Hiccup! Thank the gods." She rushed over to him and cupped his face to kiss it, murmuring motherly things to him.

His earlier anger for her disappeared upon seeing her and he let out the breath he had been holding, body calming and relaxing while enjoying the attention of his mother. He cried a bit, the dam holding it back for Dagur's sake cracking just a little. Valka wiped the tears away with her thumbs before giving him one last kiss on the forehead as fresh tears slid down her own face, a joyous smile on her mouth; happy to see her son alive and awake. She moved away from his face, but did not remove herself away from his side and gripped the hand closest to her softly as she sniffed. She then glanced over towards Dagur and gave him a tender smile.

"Was this your doing?" she asked quietly, not wanting to wake the redhead up.

"Yeah," Hiccup replied just as quietly as he turned his head towards Dagur and placed his free hand back onto the redhead's hip. "He needed it, it looked like."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not long... How long... How long have I been here?" How long since he was kidnapped and shot he meant to say, but didn't for the sake of his mother.

"About six days. It was touch and go the first two before the doctors declared you on the healing end and should be well enough to leave in another week once you woke up, depending on how you feel." Her smile saddened as she glanced down at his hand, grasping it with both of hers. "Dagur would not leave your side. As soon as you were out of surgery, he was there. I had to force him to eat and shower a few times. I tried to make him sleep, but there's only so much I can do about that."

Hiccup nodded and eyed his boyfriend, patting his hip fondly.

"My baby, I'm so glad you're alright," Valka whispered in relief. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got shot," he couldn't help but say, but grimaced as soon as it left his mouth. "Sorry..."

"It's ok dear, I remember that annoyance feeling whenever someone asked how I was after I had you." She patted his hand and smiled reassuringly. "I'll make sure the others don't ask the same thing whenever you're up to seeing them."

"Who's here?" He was unsure if he felt happy or nervous that people had come to see him and was glad his mom hadn't told them yet.

"Everyone who truly matters. Your friends, Stoic, Grimmel, Gobber, Dagur's family..." she trailed off when she noticed Hiccup's eyes had dimmed and narrowed a bit at the mention of Grimmel. "Dagur told you, didn't he?"

"About how you once worked for MI6? Yeah..." Hiccup sighed and slipped his hand from hers as the anger from earlier came back, but not as hot as before. "How could you not tell me?"

Valka let out a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily as she let her hands drop back to her sides, a guilty look on her face. "I wanted to keep you safe. I was part of a special team that required more secrecy than a regular MI6 agent and if it got out that I was a part of it, all our lives would be in danger. It's why I quit when I became pregnant with you, to protect you. Stoic agreed with me. Yes, he knew who I was." She ran a hand through her mess of hair, fingers getting caught in a few tangles. "I'm sorry I kept it a secret from you, but I was only doing what I thought was right. Please forgive me..."

Hiccup watched his mother more than he listened as she spoke, watched her genuine facial expressions and the tone of her voice; the nervous tick of messing with her fingernails. She was worried, scared even, of her son's opinions and what that could mean of their relationship. She was scared of losing her son and not through death anymore. Hiccup felt his anger cool a bit more and stretched out his hand over the bed towards his mother, palm up and wide open to accept hers once more. She let out a shaky sigh and placed her hand over his, wrapping her fingers around it and sniffling.

"I get it, sort of. I mean, you're my mom. It's your job to keep me safe, right?" He gave her a tired smile, yawning.

She returned it with a relieved smile of her own and nodded. "Always. No matter what age you are."

Hiccup giggled, blinking slowly a few times. "Kinda cool. My mom, an ex secret agent. What did you do? What kind of missions did you go on?"

"I'm afraid I can't go into detail about what I did, classified and all," she chuckled as she tucked his bangs away from his face. "You should get some more rest, you look exhausted."

Before he could protest, he yawned again noisily. "I guess I could use some more rest." He shifted a little into a more comfortable position and ended up hissing in pain, stomach flaring up from the movement.

"What's wrong? Do you need more medication? Should I go get a nurse?" 

"Mom, calm down. I'm fine, just a little sore. Please don't go calling for a nurse, I don't want to deal with their poking and prodding right now." He did his best to hide the agony he was currently feeling and smiled, more like winced, at her. "Just need some sleep. That's what bodies need most when healing, right?"

Valka gave him a look that clearly said she didn't believe him, but thankfully let it be. "I'm going to sit in that comfy armchair and sit down then, catch up on some reading." She pointed in a direction behind the curtain. "Would you mind if I moved that so I can keep an eye on you?"

Hiccup shook his head and watched her as she grabbed the thin piece of material with one hand and pulled on it, dragging it around the bed until it was bunched up against the wall. The rest of the room was now revealed and in the corner near the head of the bed sat a light brown, leather armchair that undoubtedly stretched out flat for sleepy people. He almost smirked when Valka pulled out her Kindle from her bag that sat on a chair near the door and sat down heavily in the armchair, reaching over the side. The leg rest popped up and she pushed the back of the chair with her upper body until she was practically laying down with her head propped up by a small pillow Hiccup hadn't noticed she had grabbed. As his mother settled in, he moved his gaze back to Dagur and lifted a hand to gently touch the redhead's face. He kept it there between them as he drifted off, listening to the light snores of his boyfriend.

...

The sounds of someone, several someones, talking quietly woke him up in whoever knows how long he's been asleep. It was then he also noticed the soreness in his body and the way the pain in his stomach flared, forcing him to lie still for fear of making it worse just by shifting his weight. But then he took a deep breath and hissed as the wound in his chest hurt; not as bad as his stomach, but startling enough to make him groan. The voices stopped and the erie silence had Hiccup open his eyes to see what was going on and who was with him. He blinked them open and was glad the lights were on dim, but he had a growing headache and the gentle light still hurt. He raised a hand to rub at his forehead (touching anything further down proved to be a touch too painful) before covering his eyes (glasses gone) with another groan to darken his surroundings as his head continued to pound against his skull, especially around his nose and temple. The pressure of the oxygen mask was no longer there.

"Should we get a nurse?" one of the voices asked the others quietly.

"Probably best, shouldn't have allowed him to go back to sleep without doing that first," another replied, sounding like his mother. "I'll go get one, you two stay here." Footsteps tapped against the linoleum floor before a door opened and closed softly. 

Hiccup tensed when a large hand grabbed the one not covering his face, but soon relaxed as Dagur's musk wafted into his nose by how close the redhead was standing next to him.

"What's wrong?" Dagur asked worriedly, grasping Hiccup's hand with both of his now.

"Hurts," Hiccup whispered through clenched teeth, the act of it making his head feel like it was about to explode.

"Where, freckles?"

Hiccup would have grinned at the nickname if not for the hammer banging on his skull. "Head... Stomach." He let out a small sob as the feeling became too much.

"Oh Hiccup, the nurse or doctor or somebody will be here soon." One of Dagur's hands slipped out from his and began to run finger through his sweat dampened, greasy hair. It was nice. Just as he said that, the door opened and several footsteps were heard coming their way. "He said his head and stomach hurt."

"The headache is most likely due to the blows to the head," a deep man's voice said, handling something. "I gave him something for the pain and if need be I could give him something to help him sleep. But let's take a look at that stomach wound right now."

The pain in his head had started to slowly disappear until it was nothing but a dull thud and was glad whoever came to check up on him waited until Hiccup was pulling his hand away from his face before asking the auburn permission to pull up his hospital gown so he could look over the wound. Hiccup blinked a couple of times, vision blurrier than usual from the drugs and making him pretty much blind, before nodding and weakly trying to push the blanket covering his body down. Dagur took over and carefully moved it down until they were to his thighs. When the nurse/doctor started on his gown, Dagur quickly used the blanket to cover his private area and made sure it didn't slip as the stranger peeled off the dressing covering Hiccup's stomach wound.

There was a quiet, sharp intake of air from his side that wasn't from the nurse/doctor.

"A little infected, but nothing to worry about," the man continued as he grabbed a new dressing. "Some antibiotics and you'll be back on track to a full recovery. I'll just be a moment..." He trailed off as he quickly cleaned the wound, redressed it, and pulled the gown back down before Dagur brought the blanket back up to Hiccup's chest.

Hiccup stared up at Dagur almost drunkenly and lifted a hand, the redhead grasping it and holding it; bringing it up to his cheek. He was vaguely aware they weren't the only two people in the room, but the medicine they gave him was making him loopy. As the back of his hand touched Dagur's chin and jaw, he noticed something and pouted like a child. "You shaved..."

Dagur chuckled softly at that and kissed Hiccup's knuckles. "Had to, was getting annoying and itchy."

"I thought you looked rather sexy." Great. His words were starting to slur.

"And I think you look rather sleepy."

"I am a bit sleepy."

"You should go back to sleep then."

"Guess I should..." Hiccup closed his eyes and felt like he was being sucked into the mattress as he fell asleep before the doctor/nurse (nurse as he would later find out) came back.

...

Hiccup was feeling much better when next he awoke; still tired and sore, but not as much as before. His head still felt a bit buzzed so he must still be on some kind of heavy duty pain medication or was being weened off of it. The pain in his head was gone, stomach still a little tender but bearable, and the wound in his chest was forgotten. The room was quiet other than the rush of water coming from the bathroom, the door ajar just a crack, and the only light source came from the lamp standing behind the armchair. Tired of laying down, Hiccup felt around for the remote attached to the bed and found the cord for it. With one hand, he slowly dragged it over the edge of the bed and brought it close to his face to see where the recliner button was before pushing it until he was in a more seated position that didn't bother his wounds.

He laid there, listening to the shower, tiredly and wondered where his parents and boyfriend had gone. He could scarcely recall the last time he was awake and even though his dad hadn't said a word, he knew he was there. The large man's presence screamed attention and authority, it was hard to miss; Hiccup didn't need his vision to know his father had been in the room. Stoic had probably been standing guard in a corner of the room close to the door as the nurse/doctor took care of his son. Now it seemed everyone was missing other than whoever was in the bathroom where the water had turned off. Relying on his hearing, Hiccup could hear the rustling of clothes echoing in the room before the door opened. Humming reached his ears and he grinned as he recognized who it came from.

"Dagur..." Hiccup whispered, not wanting to startle the other. 

There was a sharp intake of breath... obviously that didn't work. "Fuck!"

Hiccup heard the other stumble before falling to the floor with a hard thud and another curse, groaning. "Thor, you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, just fine," Dagur grumbled half heartedly as he got up. His blurry figure came into view and moved towards Hiccup until he was standing by his beside. "*You* ok? Hurting at all?"

"No, I'm actually feeling pretty ok. Kinda woozy from the drugs, but overall... ok..." Something was set on his face and Hiccup jumped in surprise before realizing Dagur was giving him his glasses. Hiccup adjusted them so they sat better and looked up, raising an eyebrow at Dagur's attire. "What's with the scrubs?"

Dagur looked down at himself as if he had forgotten what he had just put on. "Oh, uh, got puked on by a patient's sibling. Didn't have any more clean clothes so the hospital took pity on me and gave me some scrubs." He shrugged nonchalantly as he looked back up and smiled at Hiccup. "Didn't want to smell like rancid milkshake until my clothes were done washing. Which by the way I'm going to have to thank your uncle and his people for packing me some. You as well."

Hiccup furrowed his brows in confusion at Dagur's demeanor when the redhead spoke of his uncle. "Did something happen with him?"

"Hm? No, no, just kinda tired of his attitude." Dagur waved it off with a forced smile and Hiccup got the feeling that wasn't it.

But instead of pointing it out, he replied, "A lot of people tire of him quickly because of his I'm better than you attitude and always acting like he would rather be anywhere else."

This drew a small chuckle from Dagur, which had Hiccup grinning. "Oh gods, I thought I was the only one who saw that."

Hiccup chuckled before moaning at the slight pain it caused his stomach. Definitely being weened off. "Ah don't make me laugh."

"Sorry, sorry."

"Don't apologise." Hiccup huffed and grabbed one of Dagur's hands, smiling endearingly at him. "How long have I been asleep this time?"

Dagur grimaced at being reminded of what happened earlier and glanced down at their joined hands. "Two days. You more passed out than fell asleep, startling the nurses, and you ended up having to go back into surgery... that little infection you had wasn't all of it. They missed a bullet fragment in your stomach that was causing you to bleed internally and they had to cut you open again."

"Oh..." Hiccup looked down at his stomach that was covered by sheets and his gown. "And the headache?"

"A minor brain bleed that the doctors aren't all that worried about, but I'm not all that confident in them right now to trust their opinions."

Hiccup nodded in minor agreement. "How long will I have to stay now? I can't afford to spend all this time in some expensive hospital nor can my parents."

"Grimmel is actually paying for all this," Dagur grinned minutely as he let go of Hiccup so he could grab a chair and set it down next to Hiccup's bed, slumping down into it. "He picked the hospital so he's paying the bill. Or as your mother said 'you better pay for all this or so help me.'"

Hiccup giggled that trailed off into another groan, imagining his mom saying all that to her little brother. If there's anyone who could put Grimmel in his place it was Valka. Hiccup knows, he's seen it. "What about everyone else? Is he paying for their stays or did they all leave yet?"

"They're still here and yes Grimmel is paying for them to stay too, much to his annoyance. But he figured after what happened, that he owes you all this." Dagur grinned and patted Hiccup's knee gently. "They're actually all here if you want to see them. They're in the cafeteria having lunch, but one text and they'll be here in minutes."

Hiccup felt his heart flutter at his friends and family still being here, waiting for him. He did want to see them now, very much so. "Really?"

"Yeah. Want me to?" Dagur stood up, most likely to grab his phone, but didn't move before Hiccup gave his consent.

"Yes. Please."

Dagur nodded with a smile and walked over to the armchair to pull out a backpack from behind it. He took his phone out from one of the front pockets and turned it on before sending a text to a couple of people. "There, that should have them running."

Hiccup giggled giddily before cursing, grimacing in annoyance at his stomach.

"You ok? Can I get you anything?" Dagur was by his side again and fussing with where to put his hands. He decided on shoving them into his scrubs' pockets, the angle making his elbows jut out awkwardly.

"A kiss would be nice. I'm surprised you haven't as soon as I said I was ok." Hiccup smiled encouragingly and even puckered his lips while closing his eyes. He heard the other snort out a chuckle as he leaned down, kissing Hiccup lightly on the lips. It ended too soon for his liking, but Hiccup was glad for it nonetheless. "Mmm, that's the stuff."

Dagur hummed in agreement and kissed him once more, lingering a little longer. Another one, a little more longer, this time with tongue. Hiccup moaned into Dagur's mouth when his tongue slid into the auburn's, breathing heavily through his nose. Carefully, Hiccup lifted his hands to grip whatever he could reach of Dagur (a shoulder and the back of his head) and tilted his head a bit to slot their mouths more comfortably together. It felt like an eternity since he last kissed Dagur even though it's been over a week and he threw what he could into it without hurting himself, showing Dagur how much he loved him through their locked lips.

A light rapping on the door had them pulling apart and straightening themselves just as the door opened, revealing a long haired blond woman who was smiling widely at them. The rest of his friends stepped in behind her as she moved away from the door.

"You really are awake, thank the gods," she said quietly, but enthusiastically. She stepped over to the other side of the bed to lean over and give Hiccup a big kiss on the forehead. "It's good to see you, though I wish it was over better circumstances."

"It's good to see you too Astrid," he replied warmly, patting her back as they couldn't properly hug.

Two more long haired blonds jumped in as soon as Astrid stepped away and Hiccup was wary of the pair, already tensing and waiting for any kind of physical contact they may give him. Fortunately, they seemed to realize his body was hurt and not up for anything more than a kiss on the cheek and a pat on the shoulder. The twins looked just as relieved as Astrid seeing him awake and their grins had Hiccup's smile growing, especially when Tuffnut suddenly rubbed his cheek in awe.

"I think this might be the first time I've ever seen you with any kind of facial hair that isn't a five-o-clock shadow," Tuff said softly as he brought his other hand up to rub his other cheek, quite enthralled.

Hiccup used one hand to slap the hands away from his face. "Alright already, Odin's dick..."

"You look quite... older, more wise with a beard," Tuff's sister added as she poked the auburn's chin.

"Ugh, Dagur, do you have a razor in your bag?" Hiccup asked with a whine. "Ruffnut stop touching my face!"

"Geez, fine. Don't get your gown in a knot." Ruff pulled her finger back just in time to be pushed away by Snotlout and Fishlegs.

Dagur snickered in the background.

The short man rolled his eyes, having dealt with the twins more than Hiccup has while the much larger man beside him looked very relieved and fussed over Hiccup quietly. On the other side of Snotlout was Minden, who was placing a soft hand on the auburn's shoulder while smiling sweetly at him. 

Snotlout, trying to look bored and unaffected by Hiccup's predicament and failing, greeted him with a tired smirk, crumbs stuck to the corner of his mouth. "Looking good cuz." That was obviously a lie, but Hiccup was thankful for it nonetheless.

"Feeling ok too, for now. Just until they stop giving me the good stuff."

"Heard they already started weening you off onto something less potent now that you're out of the woods," Fishlegs said with a hint of worry. 

Snotlout frowned, quite suddenly, and gave his cousin a very serious look. The most serious Hiccup's ever seen him. "I'm really glad you're ok."

Hiccup smiled gently at him and raised a fist. "Thanks."

Snotlout smirked (his heart not in it) and raised his own, bumping it against the auburn's softly, Fishlegs doing the same when Hiccup offered it to him. "Glad you could wake up before we have to leave."

Now Hiccup frowned. "Why? I thought my uncle was paying for you guys."

"He is," Minden jumped in, "but only for living arrangements and room service. I need to get back to work and Snotlout has a book signing coming up in two days."

"Which I can cancel," Snotlout quickly interupted, much to his fiance's distain. "I don't mind." Yes he did mind, Hiccup could see it all over his face. "I can stay for as long as you like." The shorter man had this determined look in his eyes along with something else that said he would prove to Hiccup that he cared about his cousin.

Hiccup smiled gently at that and shook his head. "No, I'm sure I'll get sick of you pretty quick. Best if you get back home and do your book signing; don't want to disappoint your fans."

Minden shot him a grateful look. "I'll go get our things packed while you stay and spend some time with your family. Don't worry about the tickets, I have a feeling Mr. Grimmel will be paying for them." She leaned in to give Snotlout a kiss on the cheek and another pat of Hiccup's shoulder before leaving, pausing at each person to give them her regards on the way out. She stayed an extra second with Dagur, giving him a tight embrace and a peck on the cheek. The door clicked closed behind her softly and silence reigned for a moment.

Then the chaos started. Everyone speaking at once, asking questions, wanting answers on what the hell exactly happened that landed Hiccup in this position. Hiccup glanced over at Dagur with a raised eyebrow and the redhead shrugged, motioning with a hand as a way to say it was up to the auburn if he wanted to talk about what happened. He had a feeling that some of the things that happened were off limits and that maybe he shouldn't mention his uncle being an agent or that Dagur was once part of the Grimborn brothers' gang. Hiccup quickly figured out a story in his head as his friends began to argue among themselves about something or another while Dagur chewed on his lips in anticipation. They hadn't necessarily talked about what they would say to those who asked and Grimmel never told them if he had spoken to anyone yet. For all they know, no one knows what truly happened or if Grimmel had been there at all. Maybe his uncle was waiting to see what Hiccup would say and play off of that.

"Odin's sake, shut up!" Hiccup snapped, rubbing his temples as the growing noise had started to give him a headache. "Gods, we're in a hospital, not a playground."

They all gave different variations of an apology and quieted down, looking sheepish.

"I was kidnapped by some local gang looking to make some money and they held me for ransom," Hiccup began, taking a quick look at Dagur who was nodding his head for him to keep going. "They assumed I was some rich college kid because of the party I was attending and took me as soon as they saw the chance. They used my phone to get a hold of Dagur, told him where to meet and he took it to the police. The police hastily set up a raid and things went array. One of the goons shot me before being taken out and that's how I ended up here."

"But what about the stab wounds?" Astrid asked quietly, as if Hiccup would fall apart of it being mentioned. "The doctors said you were stabbed in the shoulder and thigh."

"I... let my mouth get away from me, pissed one of them off," Hiccup mumbled with a grimace. Not necessarily a lie, but not all true either, though it seemed to work on them as a few of them rolled their eyes in exasperation; it wouldn't be the first time Hiccup got hurt because of his sas. "Could we please not talk about it anymore? I'm sure the police will come by to take my statement soon enough and I don't want to dwell on it anymore than I have to. And please don't go talking about it to anyone else; I would like to stay anonymous in all this." He didn't want to play the sympathy card, but he didn't want to accidently say something that the others weren't meant to hear.

His friends nodded in agreement, but something in the way that Ruffnut looked at him said that she didn't believe a word he said. Hiccup chose to ignore it and thanked them for understanding. The topic was changed and stories were being shared as they caught Hiccup up on what had been happening since the last time they spoke. It all made him smile, being reminded of what it was like once upon a time when they were all together and he missed it. At one point, something Snotlout said made Hiccup burst into a belly laugh. The pain was excruciating, but worth it; hissing and giggling around it.

"I'm going to go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat," Dagur said as he found his way back to Hiccup's side, hands in his pockets. "Want anything? I'm sure you're allowed to eat as long as it's soft."

Eating didn't sound all that appealing, but his belly was rumbling in hunger. "Hmm, no-oh! Pudding! If they have any pudding, I'll take that. Don't care what flavor."

This had everyone chuckling.

"I'll ask a nurse first if that's alright, but I promise I'll bring you a whole tray full if I can," Dagur chuckled, stepping away.

"Hey, you're not planning on leaving without kissing me first, yes?" Definitely not completely weened off the drugs yet.

Dagur rolled his eyes with a small smile and leaned down to place a quick kiss on Hiccup's lips. There was a collection of awws from his friends and Dagur shook his head in amusement as he straightened back up, giving Hiccup's hand a pat as he left. As the door shut behind him, Hiccup mentally cursed when the sudden craving for strawberry milk hit him and he didn't want to drag Dagur back just to ask him for that. He could always text him-his phone! What happened to his phone? Did Ryker ruin it after sending Dagur the text or was it left behind at the warehouse or was it broken during the raid or, or, or something? Unconsciously, he lifted his head a bit and looked around the room for anything bright green that was his phone case.

"What can I get you?" Astrid asked, watching him search, pulling his attention to her.

"Um, my phone? Do you know where it is?" If his phone was gone, he could always ask someone to borrow their's. Hiccup was sure Tuffnut had the redhead's number with how much Dagur and Tuff had been corresponding since the blond's visit last month.

"Oh! Yes, Dagur has it in his pack, but it might be dead." Astrid walked over towards Dagur's pack and dug around in it, giving a quiet aha as she found it and brought it back to Hiccup without even checking to see if it would turn on.

Hiccup took it gratefully and pressed the power button on the side of it, a picture of a low battery flashing across the screen a few times before turning off again. Before he could even ask, Astrid handed him one end of a power cord while plugging the other end into the wall, the cable just barely long enough even with the extra length. Hiccup plugged his phone in and gave it a couple of seconds before turning it on again, the lock screen making him quirk a small smile. It was a candid shot of Dagur's and Toothless' backs as the two stared out the window of Hiccup's apartment, watching the rain fall in boredom. Toothless was sitting on the windowsill close to Dagur, who was nursing a cup of tea, and was staring in the same direction as the redhead.

Hiccup unlocked his phone and his smile dropped as he paled, his message app filling the screen. He swallowed thickly as he looked at the picture of himself tied to a chair unconscious. For a moment, he thought he understood completely what Dagur was feeling as he replaced himself with the redhead, seeing his beloved sitting there rather than himself. The moment passed and Hiccup realized he would never truly understand what it would be like to be in Dagur's shoes and come to grips with what he went through. Nor would Dagur fully understand what Hiccup went through. Their traumas different, but still horrifying. This was the time they needed each other the most.

Hiccup clicked out of the messages, no longer wanting milk. He didn't delete the picture even though he wanted to in case the police wanted it for evidence and turned his phone off again, catching a glimpse of his reflection. Even through the dark screen he could see how terrible he look from the bruising around his eyes and temple to the scraggly beard his face was trying to grow. He even caught a small snippet of the bandage covering his shoulder as his gown had slipped off his shoulder a bit. He set his phone aside on the bed and looked around the room with wide eyes, feeling himself beginning to panic. His friends were talking amongst themselves, but Astrid would overt her gaze to him often and caught what was about to happen.

She was by his side and holding his face gently as she instructed him to breath along with her, tell her the many components that went into a phone. But it wasn't working, not this time, now that he had the image of Dagur tied up and beaten, screaming out in pain as Ryker stabbed him. He began to hyperventilate as tears filled his eyes, spilling over Astrid's hands, and chaos ensued as someone ran out to get a nurse. Astrid, who was crying herself in distress, was pulled away, but not by a doctor. A pair of large hands gripped his face a little more firmly, but still gentle, and forced Hiccup to look into a pair of emerald eyes.

"Hiccup, sshhh, it's ok, I'm here. You're alright," Dagur's blessed voice sounded muffled to Hiccup's ears.

"I can't-I. You-" Hiccup tried, tongue not wanting to work and brain freaking out too much to think. It was becoming hard to breathe.

"Look at me freckles."

Hiccup did, eyes wide with fright and a hands gripping whatever part of Dagur he could reach.

"Breathe with me ok? Like this, breathe in through your nose, one two three four. And out through your mouth. One two three four. Ok?"

Hiccup nodded jerkily.

"Ok, breathe in," Dagur inhaled through his nose slowly, holding it for four counts "breath out," before blowing it out and holding it for another four seconds. Repeating it.

Hiccup followed his lead shakily, never looking away. It took time, but he could feel himself slowly calming down with each inhale and having Dagur physically here was helping tremendously. Once he got his breathing back to normal, Hiccup pulled Dagur into a hug and cried into his shoulder, a bit embarrassed at what had transpired in front of the others. Dagur held him, his body shielding Hiccup from everyone else, and whispered things into his ear the auburn wasn't paying attention to.

"I think Mr. Haddock has had enough excitement for one day," a voice said softly from behind Dagur. "May I ask you all to leave for a while so I may check on him and change his bandages?"

There was a round of agreements and clatter of footsteps as people left the room. When Dagur started to pull away from the embrace, Hiccup clutched at him as panic started to rise once more.

"Shh, shh, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," Dagur said with finality, undeterred, rubbing Hiccup's back comfortingly. "But I need to stand back so the doctor can check on you. Can you let me go? I promise I'll be right here the whole time."

Hiccup let go with a small nod and laid back against the reclined bed, face red and wet; body aching. Dagur stepped back and gave the doctor the room she needed, but stayed where Hiccup could see him without having to turn his head. The woman took the redhead's place and smiled softly at Hiccup, keeping her voice steady and gentle as she explained what she would be doing before she started. Her voice and Dagur's presence further grounded Hiccup and he focused on them rather than his disturbing thoughts. He kept his gaze up as the doctor changed his bandages, not wanting to see the damage that had been done to him. The bandages covering his shoulder and thigh were left off as they were superficial and healing quickly.

Soon enough, she was taking his vitals and going over what would be happening in the next few days. Hiccup would be on a liquid diet for a while and hopefully the catheter will be taken out tomorrow, which meant Hiccup would soon have to start walking once more and the thought of struggling to get out of bed just to take a piss sounded painful. But it would help with an array amount of things that he didn't pay attention to when he was to start taking short walks a couple of times a day. The bathroom break walks should be enough for a time before they prolonged them. And of course, lots of rest was a must.

Dagur never left or even moved during the whole thing and would smile encouragingly whenever Hiccup would look at him. He only frowned once that the auburn noticed and that was when the bandages on Hiccup's chest and stomach were changed, seeing the newest trauma done to his abdomen to save his life. Again. As soon as he noticed Hiccup staring, however, Dagur's frown flipped into a forced grin. But it was done, he had seen it and it made Hiccup feel terrible at what his wounds made Dagur think to make him frown like that. It didn't fit him nor the sadness that resided in his eyes, the stress stiffening Dagur's shoulders, or the forced relaxed stance he put himself in to look more at ease. Yet Hiccup saw the distress and worry clouding over Dagur like a storm and he cursed Ryker and Johann over and over in his mind.

Done, the doctor left them alone and Dagur replaced her, sitting a hip on the bed as he grabbed Hiccup's hand. "You going to be ok?" he asked seriously, not commenting on whether or not he was talking about before or after the check up or both. 

Hiccup gazed up at Dagur for a moment, considering his answer as he thought. Shit happened, two hours (hell, the first few minutes as he was snatched) was all it took for his life to be turned on its' head and he had yet to consider what would happen after. It's not like he had a lot of time to properly think since he woke up the first time and now that he could, he didn't want to. He was scared. Scared at what this meant for his, no, *their* future. Would all this be too much for either of them to handle together, each with their own kind of stress, before one of them snapped and left? Would Dagur no longer find Hiccup attractive with what would undoubtedly become a terrible scar over his stomach? No, no Hiccup didn't believe that. Not *couldn't* or *wouldn't*, he didn't. 

"Do you love me?" Hiccup asked quietly, ignoring the other's question. He expected Dagur to reply with 'what kind of question is that?' or something similar, but instead the redhead looked Hiccup dead in the eyes, walls down and full of emotion.

Instead, Dagur said, "yes."

There was no declaration or useless add ons that people tend to use to convey their feelings, just a simple yes. And that was all Hiccup needed to hear; it sounded more real than whatever spiel Dagur could have conjured up from the top of his head. He didn't need a complicated answer or something beautiful without meaning or even a gift to signify their love, that yes was loaded with love all on its' own. That simple confirmation had butterflies flutter in his stomach and it made him smile softly as he squeezed Dagur's hand. The gesture made the redhead smile warmly in return.

"Then yes, I think I'm going to be ok," Hiccup finally answered the other's earlier question. "I'm scared and most likely will get depressed over body image shit in the future, but I know that with you by my side I can get through this."

"I know you will and I'll stick by through thick and thin. I love you Hiccup Haddock," Dagur said before leaning down to kiss him firmly on the lips.

"I love you too," Hiccup returned against the other's mouth. Tears gathered in his eyes before spilling down his cheeks, everything feeling too much. "I should apologize in advance for how I might treat you in the future. I wasn't all that nice when I got my leg taken off."

Dagur chuckled as he gave Hiccup another kiss, this one lasting a little longer, before pulling back. "You don't worry about that right now, ok? Right now, you should relax and drink some water. Sorry that you'll have to wait for that pudding..."

"It's fine, I'm not all that hungry anyways. And as tired as I am, I'm too wired to sleep."

"Want me to bring the group back?" Dagur jerked his thumb over to the door.

"... Nah, I'm done with people for today." The thought of bringing his friends back after his episode was embarrassing and he'd rather prolong that a bit more. "Want to put that TV to use?"

Dagur looked over his shoulder as if just now noticing the flat screen for the first time, probably has. "Sure. Hopefully they have something good on."

The remote that controlled the bed also controlled the TV, having a section of its' own on the blocky thing for volume and channels. Before anything was done, Hiccup scooched over to give Dagur room and the redhead snuggled up against his side while being careful not to press against anything sore. Dagur snatched up the remote first and turned on the TV since the thing was on his side. The screen flicked on and the first thing that filtered through was a snowman singing something about summer. Hiccup immediately took the remote and switched the channel with a 'nope', landing on the history channel. Both groaned and switched again, flicking through what channels the hospital did have before finally settling on some kind of house restoration show that surprisingly wasn't all that boring.

At some point, Dagur had fallen asleep, still in his scrubs, and Hiccup was left to watch another episode by himself. They had already watched three and he wasn't going to go through another episode of unrealistic fundings or sob stories that were more or less exaggerated. How do people come up with the money to do all that unless they were rich, which most of the people he's watched so far were. Where were the poorer people? The ones where both parents had to work to make ends meet and need to uplift their home in order to sell it to afford a more manageable one? Now Hiccup was making things up in his head and making himself upset by the unfairness of it all. But who said life was fair? One look at his body and he could tell you that no, life is certainly not fair. The human race is the only species who came up with that concept and they certainly fucked it up with what they think is fair or not.

Hiccup sighed and rubbed his temples, hissing when he pressed he little to hard on the bruised one. He wasn't doing himself any good by thinking like this and he needed to get some sleep. He was tired, his body ached, his nerves were shot, and he would rather sleep away the days than sit there in pain with nothing to do other than watch TV. He flicked the channels until it was on something boring and wouldn't hold his interest before settling in his bed, the remote in his lap. 

A glance at Dagur told him that the other was deep in sleep and wouldn't be awake any time soon, enforcing Hiccup's want for rest. But now that he was looking at Dagur, he couldn't look away. The redhead looked so peaceful and relaxed in his sleep, face slack and worry lines soothed out. The bags and dark circles around his eyes had lessened a bit, but Dagur still looked a bit pale and his usually soft lips were bitten raw and chapped. The redhead always took pride in taking care of his lips, keeping a layer of chapstick on them at all times; unlike his hands, which were thick with callouses and scars with a few scabs from ripped off hangnails. The rest of his body held different variations of smoothness in certain parts of his body, his rump being the smoothest over well developed muscles. Fuck, now Hiccup was making himself horny.

Shaking his head free of inappropriate thoughts, Hiccup closed his eyes and tried clearing his mind; probably wouldn't be able to get it up anyways. He listened to the TV drone on about some fossil or something and let himself focus on that, the English voice lulling him to sleep. He jerked awake a few times before he could fall too deeply until finally the grips of sleep dug their claws into him, dragging him into the darkness. He dreamt of Dagur, smiling in his sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a lot of research about bullet wounds and the like and bullets don't just slice through your body. Something so small can make a great impact and ruin the inside of your body. Honestly, Hiccup being able to live through that is nothing but a miracle.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it, the finale. The end. Thank you all who have stuck around, and really makes me happy that I made you guys happy. Well no more bitter goodbyes, on with the show. Hope you all enjoy!

*One year later*

"-I wonder what tomorrow has in mind for me or am I even in it's mind at all. Perhaps I'll get a chance to look ahead and see. Soon as I find myself a crystal ball. Soon as I find myself a crystal ball," Dagur crooned at the top of his lungs, the wind flowing through the open window of the vehicle he was driving ripping the song from his lungs.

Beside him in the passenger seat with his own window down, Hiccup was smiling around the straw poking out of his strawberry milkshake as he looked out to watch the passing buildings of the city. The sun was high in the sky and beating hotly down on them, the air blowing in barely able to keep them cool enough as the A/C of their rented car was acting wonky; squealing each time it was turned on with nothing coming out. They were both sweating and Hiccup feared his deorderant was gone by now from how wet he had become in the armpits. He hoped Throk and Mala wouldn't mind the smell of two sweaty men in their house; maybe they'll let them wash up before introducing the baby to them.

"Tell me, tell me where I'm going I don't know where I've been. Tell me, tell me, won't you tell me and then tell me agaaain. My heart is breaking, my body's aching and I don't know where to go. Tell me, tell me, won't you tell me. I've just got to knooooow!" Dagur threw his head back, having stopped at a red light, somehow louder than before and drawing a few stares their way. "Crystal baaaall, there's so many things I need to know. Crystal baaaall, there's so many things I've got to know. Crystal baaall!"

Hiccup snickered around the straw and ducked his head to hide his face. He took a quick glance towards Dagur, still finding his white framed sunglasses with miniature donuts painted on them silly. Despite looking laid back and relaxed, his shoulders were tense with anxiety with a scattering of winkles in the corner of his eyes that screamed nervousness. Hiccup understood, he was nervous as well. Throk was once Dagur's heart throb who winded up breaking it and married a woman who had his baby. The auburn believed they were on good terms since they saw him a year ago at the hospital and three months ago on the phone (though Hiccup was dragged into that conversation accidentally). Then, out of the blue, Throk calls Dagur and invites them to Bazerker Island to meet their three month old baby whom they haven't seen yet that wasn't through pictures. It was an excuse to see them, everyone knew, but they didn't acknowledge it and agreed they needed a short vacation. 

Seeing Throk and Mala in person after a year was very stressful indeed. While Hiccup was still in the hospital, working his way on getting himself dischargeable, the married couple visited. Throk formally introduced himself and Mala, thanked him for saving Dagur several times, and told a couple of stories back when the redhead was still under the FBI's wing. Mostly funny ones to keep away any kind of awkwardness or serious talks that Hiccup did not want to be privy to. Throk was awesome in the auburn's books and was like everything Dagur described him as, that dark sense of humor getting to Hiccup every time. Mala was gracious, almost like royalty even though she swears she's not, and kind. But she had a hidden bite that Hiccup could see in her eyes and promised himself not to make her mad any time soon. The married couple were lovely and worked perfectly together like a well oiled machine. Hiccup pretended he didn't see the flash or hurt and jealousy in Dagur's face as the redhead watched them. However, one look at Hiccup and Dagur forgot all about his woes and grinned widely at the auburn in disbelief that he had someone as great as Hiccup (Trish's words, not his).

The road to recovery was hard, depressing, and full of arguments that Hiccup couldn't remember what had even started them in the first place. He berated himself a lot during the first few months, hating his body and taking it out on Dagur most of the time. The redhead, bless him, stuck with him even though he was part of the shouting matches and often went to bed angry or slept on the couch after a row. A couple of times Dagur actually walked out to clear his head and calm down, but he always came back with an apology on his lips even when it wasn't his fault. Hiccup always melted at the sad look the other gave him when he said it and apologized as well, both making up and getting on until the next fight. They were frequent the first few months, especially when Hiccup couldn't do much and Dagur got tired of sitting down and taking it. But as they found someone competent and trustworthy to talk to, things started to get easier.

What got Hiccup depressed and constantly tense the most was the scarring on his body and the nightmares of the night he was shot. They were never the same and seemed to change each night, sometimes playing off as if it wasn't that bad to over exaggerating on what really happened. The scars made him feel like a freak more so than usual and felt self-conscious whenever he was naked, whether to shower or have sex. Dagur always made an effort to show they didn't bother him, and they didn't, by kissing them and sometimes running a finger along one of them; always telling Hiccup that it was a reminder on how brave he was and how he saved Dagur's life. His therapist agreed, but it wasn't until during one of his walks one morning that he started to believe them.

It had been a cold day, forcing Hiccup to wear a hoody as he walked around town as was recommended to him before stopping by a shop to grab something hot to drink. The place was packed with people with similar ideas and he had to wait in the warmth of the place for his turn, the hoody making him sweat. Since he had a while to wait, he took it off before he could get too warm and the hoody dragged his shirt up; revealing his stomach. As he finished taking it off and slinging it over an arm, the shirt falling back over his belly, he noticed a couple of young teenagers staring at him from their table that just so happened to be right next to him. Hiccup had immediately felt self-conscious and turned away from them, pretending he didn't see them. But then one of the boys tapped his arm to gather his attention.

"How'd you get those? They're kinda cool," the smallest of the two asked sheepishly, curious. The taller of the teenagers immediately smacked his friend on top of his head.

"Stupid! Don't ask questions like that, it's none of our business," the taller teen hissed before turning towards Hiccup apologetically. "I'm sorry..."

A little shocked and amused, Hiccup shook his head and a corner of his lips lifted. "It's alright. It's... I got shot about six months ago."

The small teen's eyes widened and his curiosity rocketed. "Really? Why? Did you get in the middle of some gun fight or turf war?"

The tall teen smacked his friend again and shushed him warningly.

But Hiccup wasn't annoyed by the excited question, it actually made him chuckle much to his surprise. "No, nothing like that. I was actually shot because I pushed someone very important to me out of the way."

Now both boys were staring at him in admiration.

"So you're a hero," the small teen stated firmly.

"No, not really," Hiccup replied uncomfortably, the amusement now gone.

"Yes," the tall teen argued, setting aside his need to not delve into anyone's business as Hiccup tried to berate himself. "You took a bullet for a friend, that makes you a hero."

"I just did what everyone else would have done," Hiccup said quietly, feeling embarrassed. Without knowing, he had lost his place in line and people moved in to fill his empty space with no chance of getting it back. "It's nothing to get excited about..."

"So?" the tall teen snapped with a roll of his eyes. "All those other people who do that are heroes too."

"Yeah! Being able to save one person makes you awesome! You even got those rad scars to prove it too, like a medal of honor or something."

"Don't be stupid, Jay." The tall teen had a sneer on his face, but there was no heart to it and the other friend was able to ignore it. "But the scars are kinda cool..."

"They are!" Jay almost shouted wholeheartedly when Hiccup's face formed a frown of disagreement. "You shouldn't feel uncomfortable because of something like that, it's stupid."

"Jay! You can't say that!"

"But it is! Sure he's got this big scar running across his belly, but he should wear it with pride because if he didn't have it, who knows where his friend would be now. He should be able to look at it and think, 'I did it, I saved my friend. They're alive today because of me.'"

"Humble much?"

"Shut up Bo! It's true!"

Bo grinned slyly at Jay and placed a hand over his. "You're so cute when you're like this."

Jay blushed and looked down shyly, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Well, it was nice meeting you. Come on Jay, let's leave the man alone. Your mom is probably freaking out by now that you sneaked out." Bo stood up and grabbed a pair of forearm walking canes that were leaning against the table, handing them to the small teen.

Jay grabbed them and used them to pull himself up on to his awkwardly positioned feet. "Sorry to bother you." He smiled widely up at Hiccup and began limping towards the door at a slow pace, Bo holding it open for him.

It was like the universe smacked him in the face and told him to stop wallowing in self pity. Those boys did not see him as a freak at all, but as a hero and would not let Hiccup think otherwise. Forgetting his want for a hot drink, Hiccup ran towards the flower shop, his need to see the redhead excruciating. He burst through the door like a mad man, surprising Dagur, and kissed him in front of a costumer. When Hiccup began to apologize for how he treated Dagur the past few months, the costumer made themselves scarce. Dagur closed the shop early that day and the two went home, making proper love for the first time since Hiccup's been out of the hospital.

A cry of a seagull brought Hiccup back to the present and he looked over towards Dagur with a soft smile, heart full. He reached over the center console and grabbed Dagur's hand, threading their fingers together. The redhead smiled as he kept his gaze on the road, heading towards the other side of the island away from the docks. Music filled the comfortable silence as Hiccup took in the sights, thankful Dagur turned down Throk's generosity of being picked up in favor of driving themselves with a rental. This gave them a little extra time to themselves before the awkwardness of catching up started. Plus, they wouldn't have to rely on Throk or Dagur's parents for rides while here.

"Heather called while you were sleeping on the boat," Dagur started as they were stopped by a red light, waiting to turn. "Said Grimmel's sending Tuffnut to Russia for his first mission, putting his multilingual tongue to use."

"Oh gods," Hiccup groaned as he let his head fall back.

"Nothing too dangerous, just to translate."

"You believe that?"

"... No."

Hiccup shook his head as he remembered how all that got started in the first place. A day after telling his friends a version of what happened, Grimmel had stopped by and Hiccup had told him the story he had come up with. His uncle wasn't all that impressed with it, but went along with it and had made sure Hiccup and Dagur would be kept anonymous to keep them safe. Ryker wouldn't be mentioned and no one would be the wiser that he was in fact alive... well, had been alive. Grimmel had shot both Johann and Ryker after Hiccup was, not willing to make the same mistake twice. Johann's death was kept from the press, now considered a missing person, but his sordid past had come to light and gave an excellent reason for his sudden disappearance; no longer seen as the generous man he claimed to be.

Before Grimmel left to go back to England, he made one more stop to Hiccup's hospital room at the same time the auburn's friends were leaving and held the twins back in order to speak with them; wanting Ruffnut's help in some matters and to talk about buying one of Tuffnut's art pieces. That was a lie of course to pacify the others and keep them from asking questions. Hiccup and Dagur, though, could hear everything that was being said out in the hallway as his door was left opened a crack. Grimmel got right down to it and didn't pull any punches.

"I'm an agent of MI6 and it's come to my attention that the two of you have some talents that could be quite useful to us," Grimmel said bluntly and Hiccup could imagine the bored expression on his face.

"I knew there was something fishy about you!" Ruffnut exclaimed.

"Eh, I kinda already figured that out," Tuffnut said nonchalantly.

There was a small moment of silence before Grimmel murmured, "excuse me?"

"Yeah, I heard you talking to one of your buddies in the cafeteria the other day and I don't think you're just an agent, are you?"

"... We were speaking in German."

"I self taught myself German when I was in high school." Tuffnut sounded prideful of that fact.

"Yeah, he's multilanguage or something," Ruff added.

"It's multilingual dear sis."

"... Hm, it seems I have underestimated you."

"Wouldn't be the first time. I underestimate myself all the time."

There was another pause before a smack of lips opening and a sharp intake of breath. "Yes, well-"

"The answer is no," Ruff interupted. "To the whole joining your team thing. I like what I'm doing now and I don't plan to leave it any time soon. Plus I don't think I'm the right material for you; apparently I talk too much. Tuffnut on the other hand certainly is."

"Aw sis," Tuffnut sniffed.

"I see," Grimmel replied tensely. "Well then, off you go. I no longer have any use for you. Speak none of this to no one."

"Psh! Rude! See ya losers later." Ruffnut's stomping echoed in the hallway as she left, making no promises that she wouldn't. 

Grimmel must have believed she wouldn't as there was no given commands or yelling taking place. Instead, the conversation between him and Tuffnut started anew, only in German. Then French, Spanish, Dutch, then ending with Mandarin. Hiccup could hear the impressed tone in Grimmel's voice and the auburn turned his gaze towards Dagur with raised eyebrows. The redhead returned the stare, his expression more bewildered as the two outside continued to talk a while. Finally after almost half an hour later, silence fell as they finished and made their way down the hall. It was the most expressive Hiccup had ever heard his uncle and he couldn't even understand him.

After that, Tuffnut was whisked away to start his special training, which was grueling according to the many times the blond had mentioned it to Hiccup. Tuffnut couldn't go into specifics or tell what kind of training he was receiving, but by the bruises, newly made scars, and proper muscles filling out his body in the pictures he sent Hiccup, the auburn believed him. It's been a while since he last spoke to Tuff and wondered how much he had changed since then. 

"-I'm out of my head, of my heart and my mind 'cause you can run but you can't hide. I'm gonna make you mine. Out of my head, of my heart and my mind 'cause I can feel how your flesh now is crying out for more," the stereo sang, Dagur with it but more under his breath since he didn't know all the words. "Just a another ten minutes before we get there if the roads aren't busy."

Hiccup nodded and took a sip of his shake, the contents warming and becoming more like thick strawberry flavored milk than a shake. "Are you excited to see them?"

Dagur gave him a quick glance with a small quirk to his mouth. "You've asked me that about ten times since we left Berk."

"I did? Oh, sorry." Hiccup didn't remember nor knew the answer to that question.

"It's ok," Dagur chuckled as he took a turn, following the coastline. "But yes, I am excited."

"And nervous," Hiccup pointed out, giving a teasing smile.

"Hey, I'm not the only one..."

"No, but I'm not the one who used to date or snitch for them."

Dagur gave him a look of bemusement. "You're not very funny."

"I'm hilarious."

"Maybe to the deaf."

"Oh shut it, you love my jokes."

"When they don't physically hurt and are actually funny."

Hiccup snorted into his drink, missing the banter. They hadn't done that in a while without incidentally hurting each other's feelings; wanting to make a jab and pass it off as a joke. It was usually Dagur who made the jabs as a passive aggressive way to get back at Hiccup instead of talking about how the auburn had treated the redhead poorly. It would take those two teens at the cafe before Hiccup truly understood how he had been behaving and made a revolution to try his hardest to dig himself out of the self pity hole he had put himself in. It took some time with quite a bit of help, but Hiccup felt like he reached a place he finally felt at peace... for the most part. He still had nightmares and doubts, questioning his self worth, but Dagur was always there to drag him out before he went too far.

"I love you."

Dagur did that thing with the smile that melted Hiccup's heart every time he gave it, glancing at him from the corner of his eyes. "I love you too. Oh, we're here. Always wondered what was back here when I was a kid."

Hiccup's eyes brows shot up as he spotted the gates, a community hidden within them next to the ocean. Dagur pulled up in front of them and reached into his back pants' pocket to pull out a slip of paper that had the code to let them inside. The redhead punched it in and the gate doors slipped open, closing behind them seconds later. They started up on top of a hill, a few houses of variant sizes scattered about, some becoming nicer and further apart the further they went until they reached a line of boat houses at the bottom of the hill.

"No way," Dagur mumbled in disbelief as they rolled to a stop in front of one, a for sale sign staked into the ground beside the little bridge leading up to it.

"I always wanted to live in a boathouse, but the swells at Hooligan Island are too big to safely live in one," Hiccup said before he got out, following after Dagur.

As they crossed he bridge, they could hear the sounds of a baby and Mala telling Throk to be careful come through an open window. Dagur hesitated when they reached the front door, nerves taking over and overlapping the excitement from before. Before the redhead could change his mind, Hiccup knocked on the door a little too hard from his own nerves. They could hear scuffling and a 'just a minute!' come from the open window before the door opened, Mala grinning happily at them, her face a little more full since Hiccup last saw her. Her hair had grown a bit too, now down to her chin and being held back by a headband.

"Hello boys, you're right on time for lunch," she greeted, giving each a hug and kissing both of their cheeks. "You two look wonderful! Please come in. Mind your shoes." She shuffled out of the way and walked back into the belly of the house with a swoosh of hair.

Dagur and Hiccup gave each other a look before stepping inside, toeing off their shoes. Guess the awkward greetings were being saved for another day if that display was anything to go by. As soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted with the kitchen, a short counter separating it from the living room, and a loft. While spacious for a couple just starting out, not so much for a starting family. Or all that safe, especially when the baby first starts to walk. Speaking of babies, there was the newest member of Throk and Mala laying down on a play mat on the living room floor, chewing on what appeared to be an actual squeaky dog toy.

Throk looked up from his computer at the bar and smiled widely at them, standing up from his stool. "Hey! You made it!" He gave them both hugs like Mala had, but left out the kissing. "Didn't get lost?"

"As if I could get lost," Dagur replied sarcastically. "I grew up on the streets, I know where I'm going. Could use some updating, it's been a while since I last been here."

"Very few things have changed since you left," Mala said as she picked up the baby, resting him on her hip. There was still a stubborn bit of baby pooch on her belly, but with one quick tug up of her pants it was hidden. "Well, here's the main reason you're here. Boys, I would like you to meet Ragnar. Narnar for the other kids who can't seem to pronounce his name right. Here you go." She plopped Ragnar right into Dagur's arms, the redhead tensing up and hugging the baby to his body. "You're holding him wrong... Look, here."

Mala helped Dagur arrange his hands so he was holding Ragnar correctly. Dagur looked as if he wanted to protest, but kept his mouth shut as the baby continued to chew on his toy and drooled all over. The redhead grimaced at the slobber beginning to drip on him and the wet bib soaking his shirt. Throk had a look of understanding, having to deal with the slobber every day, but did not step in to help out. In fact, the strawberry haired man looked rather amused now that it wasn't him being soaked in baby stuff. Hiccup gave a mental aw at the sight despite Dagur's mortified look and swiftly took a picture with his phone, the snapshot gaining the redhead's attention.

"You better not put that online," Dagur said seriously, horror written on his face as Hiccup fiddled with his phone.

"Oops, my bad," Hiccup replied, not at all apologetic as he uploaded the image on his Facebook page.

Dagur's eyes widened as he mouthed *I'm gonna kill you*.

"His hair is so dark," Hiccup commented, ignoring the glare given his way by his beloved. Ragnar's hair was almost a chocolaty brown compared to Mala's blond and Throk's strawberry blond. It was hard to tell who the baby looked like most as his face was rather round and squishy.

"I had pretty dark hair when I was born, almost black. People had started to think my parents had started to bleach my hair at a young age when it started growing out lighter," Mala replied as she finished up in the kitchen.

"Throk, could you move your case files off the table so we can eat?" Mala asked, sounding more like a command than a suggestion as Dagur tried to pawn off the child onto the auburn. "Hiccup, help me move the food to the table."

Hiccup patted Dagur's back as he passed by him with a humourous grin, making a face at the baby that made him smile and coo in delight. The gummy smile seemed to break down Dagur's reluctance in holding Ragnar and he smiled unwillingly at the dimples on the baby's cheeks. His hold relaxed a bit so he wasn't squeezing the baby uncomfortably and started making faces as well, but Ragnar didn't appear to be amused.

Throk gathered his work and moved them to the coffee table before grabbing placemats from a drawer while Hiccup finished his trek into the kitchen. Mala handed him a bowl of fruit salad as she grabbed a pan of grilled chicken and the two began setting up the table. Dagur stood to the side, watching and waiting for someone to come grab the baby from him as he began to squirm in the redhead's arms. It wasn't until the table was fully set with food, glasses, and eating utensils before Mala relieved him of the child and gave him a napkin to clean himself up. A quick wash of hands for everyone and the couples were sitting down to eat at the four person round table. Ragnar sat in his mother's lap and began rubbing his face into her breast, wanting to eat. Dagur and Hiccup were quick to look away when Mala pulled down the collar of her shirt to release one of her boobs.

The how are you doing conversation had already been done during the setting of the table, things still the same since they last spoke other than Throk's cat having died last month from old age. Throk used the opportunity to tell Hiccup a few more stories of Dagur's time working for the FBI, Mala joining in a couple of times to correct Throk or shush Dagur when the redhead grew embarrassed. Then pictures of them back in the day were shown, meals done and dishes set aside to clean later as a small album was set in front of Hiccup. He remembered being told once before that Dagur used to have very long hair, he just had never seen it. Now, sitting before him, he had all the evidence of the redhead's mane of hair.

Dagur's hair in the pictures were usually done up in a braid, but there were some where the red strands hung in loose waves over his shoulders and down his back. Hiccup bit his lip at the sight of them, wanting to run his fingers through the thick red locks; grip them in his hands and pull on them during love making. Dagur was embarrassed at the sight of his long hair, groaning at how silly he looked even though it clearly showed on his face that he was enjoying himself, nostalgic. Soon enough, the fun was over as Ragnar began to fuss, needing another nap. Mala took him upstairs into the loft to change his diaper and lay him down in his crib, Throk motioning for Dagur and Hiccup to follow him out onto the deck in the back of the boathouse.

A couple of baby toys were scattered across the fenced in deck with a pair of plastic lawn chairs sitting in a corner. Boathouses of all sizes lined up on either side of them and various sounds were coming from all around them, but it still felt peaceful and calm as the house was gently rocked by the waves. Nothing but water could be seen for miles, the land at their backs, and for a moment, it felt like they were on a real boat out in the middle of the ocean.

"I'm going to miss this place," Throk said gruffly as he leaned over the rails, setting his arms over the top of it it and looking out into the ocean.

"Saw the for sale sign," Dagur piped up, settling in beside him in a similar position. Hiccup sat down on one of the chairs, giving the two their space to talk. "Where you planning on moving to next?"

"Closer to town hopefully. In a neighborhood with more children and possibly a park nearby," Throk answered.

"Sounds nice."

"Yup."

"... You're going to hate it."

Throk chuckled. "Certainly. All that noisy traffic and nosy neighbors..."

"Probably be hassled by said neighbors once they catch sight of your large collection of firearms and Mala's katana. Imagine the look on their faces when you tell them you're FBI agents. You'll have no friends for sure!"

Throk laughed, something easing off his shoulders and helping him relax. "Good. I have plenty of friends who annoy me." He looked straight at Dagur as he said this, smirking.

"I'm you're only friend," Dagur combated with his own small smirk.

"Hence why I don't want anymore friends. If they're anything like you, I'm sure I'll have nothing but headaches on my hands."

"Hey, there's no else in the world like me."

"Thank the Ancients for that."

The two burst into a bout of giggling, acting like a couple of kids. The sight had Hiccup smiling, seeing Dagur fully at ease now; the tension in his shoulders and eyes lessening the more the two talked. Once the two calmed down, Throk's face morphed into something more serious as he gazed into Dagur's eyes.

"How are you doing, really?" The strawberry blond raised a brow, daring the other to lie and say fine.

"Ok, I guess... I mean, it's been hard since..." Dagur trailed off as he looked over his shoulder at Hiccup, who smiled encouragingly and nodded. "It was hard after Hiccup got out of the hospital, emotions high and nerves all over the place, but it's been getting better."

"Good. That's good. I'm very happy for you two. Are you two happy?"

"Yes, very much so," Dagur said with a nod, very sure of himself. "Therapy has been helping, friends have been great, and talking to my parents have helped quite a bit."

"Excellent. Keep that up."

"Planning on it."

Throk nodded and turned around to face Hiccup, giving the auburn his attention now. "And you?"

Hiccup shrugged, his answer pretty much the same as Dagur's. "Pretty good actually. Hard since the hospital, but things are getting better. Feel more comfortable in my own skin now."

"I can see that," Throk said as he nodded his head towards Hiccup's prosthetic poking out of his shorts and the almost see through cotton tank where the puckered scar on his chest was trying to peak out. The scar on his shoulder was hidden underneath a strap. "You should be proud of those, I mean the bullet scars. Not the prosthetic since that was done out of stupidity." He grinned jokingly to show he didn't mean anything by it, making Hiccup chuckle.

"I'm getting closer to accepting them more and more."

"Good."

The back door opened and Mala came out baby-less, but not empty-handed. She held a tray of iced coffee with milk and sweetener on the side, some other fun coffee condiments catching Hiccup's eyes. She held it out to Dagur first as he was the closest, Throk grabbing his own glass and a few packets of sugar. When she reached Hiccup, she put the tray on the small metal end table that sat between the two chairs and sat down in the empty chair. She poured a small amount of milk in her coffee along with several packets of sugar, a dollop of caramel syrup, and a swirl of whipped cream. Hiccup liked her style, doing the same except he added more milk and syrup. Mala leaned back in her chair, crossed her ankles, feet bare, with a man full of love for her staring at her adoringly.

Hiccup caught Dagur's eyes and grinned. It was agreed, this was a much needed visit.

...

"Thank you once again for letting us sleep here," Dagur said as Hiccup finished setting up the bed that pulled out from Throk's and Mala's couch, the memory foam mattress not looking half bad.

"Of course, you're only here for two nights, might as well stay here for one and your parents the second; no need to waste money at a hotel," Mala replied as she gave Dagur a couple of pillows, already in her nightgown. Baby Ragnar was already down for the night. "But I'll have to apologize in advance for Ragnar if he's fussy tonight. He hasn't been sleeping well."

"It's fine. Think of it as payback for us taking up space," Hiccup suggested as he pulled the blankets down some, readying them for when they were ready to lie down.

This drew a light chuckle from her. "Alright. Goodnight you two."

"Night," Dagur and Hiccup said in unison.

Mala headed upstairs to the loft where Throk was waiting for her in bed, having already told the two goodnight. The lamp up there was turned off and soon Hiccup was turning off the one standing behind the couch, curling up beneath the blankets next to Dagur. The curtains around the house only blocked out the summer night sun so much so there was still light from the sunset peeking through, their eyes adjusting to the dimness quickly. They could hear the others upstairs whispering to each other, Mala chuckling once before everything went quiet. Beside him, Dagur was on his stomach, head turned away from him, and breath evening out as he too was falling asleep. But Hiccup could not.

The coffee, after dinner tea, and everything that happened today left him reeling. Hiccup enjoyed himself quite a bit today and found himself drawn to Ragnar, wanting to make him laugh as much as possible. Dagur took many pictures in revenge, but it backfired as none of them had him giving that terrified look like Dagur had in the pic Hiccup took. The auburn was worried when he first held the baby, scared of dropping him, but soon got the hang of it until Ragnar began to squirm, wanting mommy. He allowed the babe to touch his face, pull on his tank, and jingle his keys, but he would not allow Ragnar's mouth anywhere near him, especially his face. Having his chin sucked, drooled, and chewed on once was enough.

And Dagur, it was nice seeing him with Mala and Throk; seeing a different side of him with them. The redhead hadn't acted all that different, but it was there, subtle. The way the three talked to each other spoke years of friendship, comfortable despite that Throk and Dagur used to date. Whatever awkwardness and hard feelings the two might have had when they first broke up was gone, making way for them to act like they used to. Hiccup found himself forgotten a few times, but didn't mind being the fourth wheel as he saw the stress of the past few months melt off of Dagur. Besides, Hiccup had Ragnar to keep him company as he listened in on their conversations and banter.

Hiccup turned on to his side, wincing when the bed squeaked with each movement, and stared over the top of the armrest. His eyes found the upper half of the bookshelf next to the bathroom and spotted a couple of framed pictures he couldn't take in any detail of thanks to the darkness. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and tried willing himself to sleep with no luck. He turned over once more until he was on his stomach, the squeak of the springs sounding loud in the silence. Beside him, Dagur let out a soft groan and shifted until his face was towards the auburn, an eye peeking open.

"Can you stop moving for at least five minutes?" Dagur grumbled tiredly, grumpy.

"Sorry, I'm having trouble sleeping," Hiccup whispered as he rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"I can tell from all the sighing and moving." Dagur let out a deep breath and opened the other eye, forcing himself further awake. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing actually. Just too much caffeine. My brain is tired but my body wants to do something."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Hiccup opened his mouth to say no, but then shut it as he took notice of the heat gathering in his loins. "Well..."

"... What?" Dagur raised an eyebrow when Hiccup stalled, narrowing his eyes when the auburn's gaze turned a bit sultry. "Wait, seriously?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Hey, if you're tired, I don't mind taking care of it myself."

Dagur snapped up onto an elbow, now fully awake. "Nononono, I'll take care of it. But I don't have any lube... and the bed's kinda loud." He took a quick glance towards the loft, expecting one of them to be looking down at them disapprovingly.

Hiccup held back a chuckle, but an amused grin formed on his lips. He was thinking more along the lines of a hand job, but he wouldn't mind doing something a bit more. "The floor is fine and some lotion should do."

"I have some non scented lotion in the bathroom," a voice from above said, stilling the two men. A quiet laugh soon followed as Mala continued. "That bed is rather squeaky, but not to worry. Throk can sleep like the dead and I'll just put my sound cancelation headphones on."

"Um, thanks?" Dagur replied, looking at Hiccup in bewilderment.

"Sure.... You're good to go. Just keep it down, I rather not have to breastfeed Ragnar back to sleep while you two are going at it."

Hiccup covered his face as he snorted into a giggle, blushing in embarrassment but still rearing to go. Dagur dropped back onto the bed for a moment and rubbed his face, mortified. Hiccup sat up and set his feet onto the floor, standing up as carefully as he could to keep the squeaking to a minimum. The lotion was easy to find and he was back in bed with another annoying squeak of the springs, becoming irritated from the noise. He stood back up with a sigh of annoyance to sit down on a section of the rug that wasn't covered by the couch or bed and called Dagur to come sit with him. The redhead did so with slight reluctance, not wanting to consider that Mala could at at any time pull her headphones off and listen in. Hiccup trusted she wouldn't.

"I might be too mortified to get it up," Dagur admitted as he sat down in front of the other, a blush high up on his cheeks and ears. "Why are you looking at me like that? I don't like it..."

Hiccup had taken that as a challenge and gave the redhead a very sensual, predatory look. Now that they were pretty much given the ok, Hiccup was going for it. It had been a while since they last had proper sex, their weeks busy with work and therapy that they often were too tired to do more than a couple of handjobs. Now after a relaxing day and still sprung on energy, Hiccup was not letting it go to waste.

"Stand up and get undressed, I'll help you out," Hiccup murmured and licked his lips.

Dagur's eyebrows rose high up his forehead and he jumped to his feet, tugging his nightshirt over his head and pushing his sweats down his legs. Hiccup sat up on his knees and his mouth watered at the sight of Dagur's limp cock. A hand settled over the top of his head and he looked up to see the redhead staring back excitedly, waiting patiently for Hiccup to do something. Hiccup leaned forward and teased one side of it with his nose, breathing in the musky scent of Dagur. He felt it twitch with interest and smirked, grabbing it softly in his left hand and kissing the head before dragging the tip of his tongue to the base. Dagur let out a sigh and tangled his fingers in Hiccup's hair, biting his lips as the redness in his cheeks shifted from his ears down to his neck.

Hiccup felt the cock in his hand hardening with each kiss and lick until it was fully erect and dripping, ready for the warmth of Hiccup's mouth. Letting out a shaky sigh of desire, the auburn pressed another kiss to the tip, smearing precum on his lips. He licked it off and moaned at the taste, sweet from all the fruit (usually in smoothie form) Dagur had been eating/drinking lately. He opened his mouth and slipped the head of Dagur's cock into his mouth, looking up at the redhead, whose mouth had slackened and eyelids lowered. Hiccup pressed his tongue flat against the bottom of Dagur's length and allowed more into his mouth, groaning around it.

"Fuck," Dagur hissed, his hand in Hiccup's hair gripping auburn locks almost painfully. "I'm not going to last long."

Hiccup nodded minutely and stopped to grab the lotion from the bed before getting undressed and pulled off his prosthetic. "Do you want to get me open as I continue to suck you or do you want me to do it?"

"I want to, I like doing it, but no more sucking. I'd probably come by the time you're stretched."

Hiccup chuckled and kneeled back down on the floor, bum seated on his feet. "What position do you want me in?"

"Let's start on your back while I get you ready and go from there. Maybe put my shirt beneath your ass so we don't make a mess on their rug."

Hiccup agreed and grabbed Dagur's shirt, laying it down before lying back on it and spreading his legs to give him room. Dagur kneeled down between them after grabbing the lotion from Hiccup and squirted a bit on three of his fingers, rubbing the thick substance over them until they were fully covered. Dagur had taken a quick look around as if he had just remembered where he was and began giggling almost hysterically as he rubbed a finger over Hiccup's hole, trying his hardest to be quiet.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Dagur whispered humorously.

Hiccup smirked back, groaning when a finger pressed in. "What, having sex on the living room floor in someone else's house?"

"When Mala suddenly spoke I wanted to die. Thought about shoving my face into the pillow until I suffocated."

Hiccup giggled that soon turned into a gasp when a second finger joined the first, feeling the tightness from the lack of proper stretching. But Thor did it feel amazing. "At least she gave us the go ahead."

"I think that was more embarrassing rather than having her tell us off for being inappropriate." Dagur scissored his middle and index fingers, forcing a choaked off moan from Hiccup as he tried to keep quiet.

"I would have dragged you outside into the woods to have my way with you if she did that." Hiccup chuckled as he held onto Dagur's arms, tilting his head back in pleasure.

"Mm, outdoor sex, haven't done that in a while," Dagur mumbled thoughtfully as he gently probed a third against Hiccup hole, asking for entrance. "Wouldn't mind doing that again."

Hiccup nodded in agreement and pressed his ass down against Dagur's hand, letting him know adding another was ok. "At the lake?" He gasped as a third digit pushed into him, barely touching his prostate.

"Yeah, during the full moon. When the the light reflected off the water and over your body, you looked more magical than human. Absolutely beautiful the way the moonlight made you look paler than you usually are, almost porcelain like." Dagur's free hand smoothed over the thick, pink scar that traveled from the puckered patch of healed skin left behind from a bullet on the left side of his abdomen and over the thick scar line across his navel... Well, where he used to have one. This was the one Hiccup disliked the most, the one in his shoulder had gone straight through and hadn't required as much attention as the one in his stomach.

Hiccup felt self-conscious at the touch, but did not shy away as Dagur's fingers traveled along it and up to the second bullet wound; touching it gently. Dagur's gaze softened, admiralty, love, and endearment swimming in his eyes as his fingers slowed their movement inside Hiccup. The auburn's heart quickened at the sight and moved a hand behind Dagur's head to pull him down to his lips, kissing him passionately. After a quick play of tongues and open mouths, Dagur leaned up onto a hand while pulling his fingers out of Hiccup to wipe them on the shirt. He then grabbed the lotion and poured a thick line along the length of his dick, smearing it until it covered him.

"You ready?" Dagur asked as he brushed the head against Hiccup's hole.

"Gods yes," Hiccup replied in a quiet whimper, adjusting his hips a bit. He looked down his body to watch the other enter him, gasping when the head popped in. There was always that first initial sting upon first entering with the sudden bluntness and fullness of Dagur pushing into him, but the uncomfortableness of it would soon dissipate once the redhead started moving.

"This ok?" Dagur looked down at him with concern and desire, lowering down until he was resting on his elbows.

"Yeah, yeah you're fine. Just give me a mo." It had been a while since Hiccup last bottomed and they hadn't exactly done enough foreplay or stretching for them to immediately get moving.

Dagur kissed Hiccup softly, a light touch of lips as he nestled his body more comfortably over the auburn without squashing him. Hiccup opened his lips and coxed Dagur's tongue into his mouth, cupping the back of the redhead's head with both hands and spreading his thighs further apart as he relaxed. Dagur took this as the sign to move and he gave a shallow thrust, punching a small gasp from Hiccup's mouth and muffling it with his own. Hiccup's legs tightened back up and pressed against Dagur's sides, toes flexing and curling with every other small thrust. The slight bit of pain disappeared and Hiccup let out a plethora of gasps and quiet moans, the intensity of his desire and want making it difficult to keep quiet.

Dagur was doing a better job at it, letting out his own little grunts and moans into Hiccup's ear as he kept the pace slow. The auburn was thankful for that as he knew he wouldn't be able to hold back his cries if Dagur were to go harder or faster without stuffing something into his mouth. That... actually didn't sound too bad of an idea. Hiccup reached around their bodies until he found another article of clothing and shoved it into his mouth, no longer trying to keep quiet. Dagur lifted his head a bit to see what Hiccup had done and raised an eyebrow, grinning with amusement and pride.

"Does this mean you want me to go faster?" Dagur asked in a whisper, pausing in his thrusting.

Hiccup nodded his head jerkily and tilted his hips up more.

Dagur pushed himself up onto his hands before grabbing the underside of Hiccup's thighs, pushing them until they almost met the sides of his own chest with his shins pressed against Dagur's ribcage. This new angle forced the redhead to keep himself up on his hands after repositioning Hiccup and made him settle more deeply inside the auburn. Hiccup moaned around the shirt in his mouth at the depth Dagur was now reaching and pressing against his prostate, watching the other with half lidded eyes. Then Dagur began to move, pistoning his hips into Hiccup's with a soft slap of skin against skin. The auburn raised his hands above his head and grabbed a leg of the coffee table that had been pushed aside for the bed, throwing his head back with a moaning curse.

The shirt did very little to quiet Hiccup, his muffled moans and cries of desire still loud to his ears. He tried, Thor did he try, to hold off on making little to no noises, but with Dagur's thickness rubbing against his inner walls and his hot head bumping into Hiccup's prostate made it very difficult. At this point, so far gone in his pleasure was he, Hiccup mentally threw up his hands with a *screw it!* and allowed himself to let go. A large hand covered his stuffed mouth to try and stifle his noises more, but the loose hold told him Dagur wasn't trying all that hard either. They just hoped to Odin that Mala hadn't taken her headphones off.

"I'm close," Dagur groaned, sitting up and grabbing hold of Hiccup's waist as he snapped his hips into the auburn's quickly. Desperate for release.

Hiccup was too and reached down with his left hand to jerk himself off, helping him reach his end quicker. A few tugs, a swipe of a thumb over the head, and a brush against his prostate, Hiccup was coming ropes of creamy liquid over his hand and stomach, clenching around Dagur tightly. The redhead gasped at the sudden tightness and stilled as he came pulsing deep inside Hiccup, grunting and panting until he was spent. Dagur sat there a moment to catch his breath before pulling his softening cock out, a gush of semen following after it, and laid down next to Hiccup on the cold stone floor.

"That was nice," Dagur panted, sniffing as he ran the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead.

Hiccup snorted, pulling the shirt from his mouth to pant out, "just nice?"

"Don't get me wrong, it was amazing, but I would rather do it on a bed where we can be as loud as we want without worrying about someone walking in on us."

Hiccup made a face of agreement. "We're not staying the night at your parents' house tomorrow are we?" He turned his head to stare at Dagur pleadingly in hope that that was not the case.

"Fuck no, I booked a hotel room while we were cleaning up after dinner." Dagur had his eyes closed as he draped an arm across them, slowing his breathing by inhaling deeply. "I'm more worried about hearing my parents rather than them hear us."

Hiccup grimaced in distaste. "Gross."

"So many horrific childhood memories that I can never forget."

Hiccup let out a surprised giggle, covering it up with his hand to muffle it. "Huuuh, the scarring memories of walking in on your parents...."

"Let's stop before I puke." Dagur removed his arm from his eyes and glared at the auburn bemusedly.

"Agreed," Hiccup snickered.

"Tired enough to sleep?"

A yawn was Dagur's answer.

"Let's get cleaned up." Dagur stood up and held out a hand to help Hiccup to his feet.

Hiccup hissed at the twinge in his rear and allowed Dagur to carry him to the bathroom. They closed the door and turned on the light, making them blink and rub their eyes at the sudden brightness. After cleaning up and making sure they hadn't made a mess in the living room, they redressed in their sweats forgoing their shirts as they were now dirty and hidden away in their bags (along with the lotion). The bed squeaked as they climbed back in, making them both wince, and nestled close to each other with Dagur's back pressed against Hiccup's front. Now, finally exhausted physically, Hiccup was able to shut his eyes and fall asleep, burying his nose in Dagur's hair.

...

The next morning, Hiccup was woken up by the smell of pancakes and the sound of a blender. The curtains were pulled open, allowing the sunlight to stream through and brighten up the house without the use of the indoor lights. Voices could be heard in the direction of the kitchen as well as baby babble, the space next to him empty when he felt around for Dagur. Blinking, Hiccup turned from his side onto his back and sat up, finding everyone in the kitchen with Dagur at the stove, Mala in front of the blender. Throk was standing close by his wife and holding Ragnar, who was chewing on a rice wafer meant for babies. Hiccup slid his foot to the floor and carefully reached down to grab his prosthetic, slipping it on before standing up while picking sand from the corner of his eyes and rubbing the sleep from them. He felt well rested and smiled when Throk noticed him.

"Look who's finally awake," the strawberry blond said with a smile of his own, gathering the others' attention.

"Good morning," Mala greeted tiredly, looking more exhausted than she had when she went to bed last night. She flicked the blender off and poured what looked like a chocolate protein shake into a large cup.

"Morning," Hiccup replied as he pressed himself up against Dagur's back, resting his head on the redhead's. "How long have you been awake?"

"Just an hour," Dagur replied. "Woke to use the bathroom and found them out on the deck."

"Ragnar decided to have an early morning," Mala explained, taking a large gulp of her drink. "I have come to learn that there is no amount of caffeine in the world that can keep me awake after having a child. And I thought work was exhausting..."

Throk held Ragnar in one arm as he used his free hand to bring his wife into a comforting one armed hug. "This will pass, don't worry. I know you hate hearing it, but it'll get easier. For now, I'll watch him so you can go get some more sleep."

A look of relief and admiration flitted across her face as she set her cup down onto the counter. "You sure?"

"Course. You just fed him and there's some bottles I can heat up just in case. If he gets fussy, I can set him in his rocker for a bit."

"Thank you." Mala leaned up to kiss Throk on the lips then on Ragnar's cheek, closing her robe tighter around her as she turned towards them. "I probably won't be up by the time you two leave."

Dagur shrugged, turning off the burner. "That's fine, we don't mind. You look like you could use some more sleep." He turned to smile kindly at her after removing himself from Hiccup and pulled her into a hug.

She returned it just as tightly before kissing his cheek, patting the other one softly. "Don't feel shy about calling, you have our numbers. And texting. There's always texting."

"Ok," Dagur chuckled. "I'll text you when we're back in Berk and see when it's best to call you."

"Sounds like a plan. It was nice seeing you two again." Mala turned her attention to Hiccup, giving him the same treatment she gave Dagur. "If I don't get the chance later, I'll tell you two now. Goodbye and thank you for coming. It was nice."

"Thanks for having us," Hiccup answered. "It was fun." He meant it and was glad his and Dagur's exploits from last night wasn't mentioned, Throk oblivious. He did blush though when Mala gave him a wink.

"Good, later." She made her way up the stairs to the loft and heard her lay down in her bed.

"You guys hungry? Breakfast is ready," Dagur asked quietly as he picked up a plate with a tower of pancakes, bringing it to the table.

Throk set down Ragnar on his mat and gave him something to play with as daddy grabbed three plates from the cabinet. Hiccup grabbed the syrup and utensils, setting them down on the table. The three men sat down and enjoyed their breakfast of pancakes doused in syrup and butter, making small talk. Throk gave Ragnar a few crumb like bites of pancakes and the baby jiggled around on the floor excitedly after each one, eyes wide at the sweet taste. They laughed each time Ragnar did this, finding his antics funny.

"So when did you decide that Mala was the one?" Hiccup asked once they had finished clearing the table, saving the dishes for later so they wouldn't wake up Mala. They were out on the deck with Ragnar on Hiccup's lap, leaning back against the auburn's stomach with a rattle ring in each tiny hand.

Throk, who had been leaning back against the railing, looked at Hiccup, seeing no malicious intent in the auburn's question. Even Dagur looked curious to know. "Well, I guess I always had feelings for her since we were young, I just didn't know she felt the same. But, if we were to start a relationship back then, it would have been viewed as inappropriate as she had been my superior. Once we were on equal ground, we thought about giving it shot after Dagur and I had been broken up for awhile. And, well, you see where that lead us." He glanced down at his ring then to his baby, eyes softening.

"You guys make a great couple," Dagur murmured honestly, smiling lightly at the strawberry blond.

Throk tried to return the smile, but it came off more as guilty. He turned his head down to look at his coffee, thumb tapping against the rim. "I don't think I've ever told you how sorry I am for breaking your heart... How I ended it was not very pleasant."

"Our relationship wasn't going anywhere, I knew that no matter how much I tried to deny it," Dagur returned quietly, whatever pain he felt from the breakup forgiven and no longer hurting. "It was for the best. I mean, I really liked you and liked being with you, we were good together, but we were more like friends with benefits. Besides, if we hadn't broken up, I wouldn't have met Hiccup and you wouldn't have gotten together with Mala. Yeah, it hurt at first, but it gave me time to think and... yeah, it was for the best."

Throk relaxed and let out a deep sigh. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know and I'm happy now." Dagur reached over and grabbed Hiccup's hand, interlocking their fingers. "I'm in love."

"I can tell, this is the happiest I've ever seen you," Throk replied, a smile finally lifting his lips. "You two make a great couple yourselves."

"Thanks."

With that out of the way, the three continued to talk about menial things until Ragnar began to fuss, no longer wanting to be in Hiccup's lap. Throk picked him up and cradled him to his chest, but Ragnar made it known that he did not like that by wiggling and crying. Hiccup offered to hold the baby again while Throk got him a bottle and cradled Ragnar, jiggling his arms gently to calm him down. It worked for a bit, but then the baby went into a fit only milk could stop. Throk could not come soon enough and Hiccup happily relinquished the babe so Ragnar could stop wailing in his ear. After that, the rest of the morning went on like that until it was time to put Ragnar down for his first nap an hour before lunch.

"Shoot, we should probably get going if we want to get to the restaurant on time, dad will have my head if we show up late," Dagur said after giving the time on his phone a quick glance. They only had enough time to get dressed.

Throk nodded in understanding as he changed Ragnar's nappy, Hiccup being the first to get dressed. "Send your parents our love, we haven't been over to see them in a while."

"Ugh, I forgot that you guys have been 'hanging out' since you met them at the hospital." Dagur groaned, probably not wanting to think about what stories had been passed between his parents and friends. "They've probably been helping out with the baby though, huh?"

"Quite a bit. Your mother made us many meals after Mala had the baby."

"Hm, she's like that." A small grin curled Dagur's lips as he folded the bed back into couch as Hiccup exited the bathroom full dressed in a new pair of shorts and tank. "I'll make sure to tell them." Dagur grabbed his own clothes he was to wear today and left for the bathroom.

"Good. Oh, and thank you for the diapers, Hiccup. They're probably the most helpful gift anyone has given us," Throk said once he saw Hiccup and sat on the newly made couch with another bottle, feeding the baby with a pillow tucked under his arm Ragnar was resting on.

"You're welcome," Hiccup replied with a smile, one of his bag's straps over his shoulder. Back when the baby was first born, he sent several boxes of different sized diapers rather than buy a blanket or outfit that Ragnar wouldn't wear for very long or had plenty of already.

Dagur reappeared, dressed similarly to Hiccup, and grabbed his own bag. "See ya," Dagur said with a wave of his hand.

"See you two later," Throk returned.

"Bye." Hiccup took the lead of exiting the house, closing the door behind Dagur once he was through. "Did you have a good time?" he asked as they set their stuff in the back.

Dagur took a moment to shut the trunk before answering. "Yeah, I really did."

"Me too." Hiccup went around to the passenger side of the car as Dagur went to the driver's.

"I thought maybe it was going to be really awkward and sweat worthy at first, but it wasn't. It was like old times again back before Throk and I had started secretly dating."

"It was nice seeing you around them, like... finally letting go of something that you've been holding onto for a while." Hiccup sat down in his seat, finger already on the switch to roll his window down once the car was turned on.

Dagur made a thoughtful face as he slid in and started the car, pulling away from the house as Hiccup rolled down his window. "Y'know, it kinda felt like that in a way. This visit has really taken some of my worries away." Dagur rolled his own window down and began fiddling with his iPod, picking a playlist instead of letting it play on shuffle like it did yesterday.

"What kind of worries?"

"What if things wouldn't or couldn't go back to what it was like before? Would have I been able to let them go if it didn't? Did they even still like me for that matter?" Dagur clicked on a random playlist and some kind of foreign music began to play.

"Seems like you got the answers you needed this weekend, yes?" Hiccup gave the stereo an odd look as he recognized the music as Norse.

"Yes... what?" Dagur caught his look and raised a brow.

"Nothing, just the music. Who are they?" They actually weren't that bad, almost like from a good movie or show.

"Skald."

"Skald," Hiccup repeated, the name rolling off his tongue awkwardly and making Dagur snicker. "I'm guessing they're Norse."

"Yup."

"Hm..."

"Ready to meet the parents again?"

Hiccup smiled at the slight worry in Dagur's voice, probably scared from what happened the last time the redhead's parents came to visit right after the auburn was let out of the hospital. Trish did not hide her want for the two men to marry and do it as soon as possible. It had left a bad taste in Hiccup's mouth at first, not mentally ready for such a thing while he was still trying to get himself back together. But now, it was humourous and adorable, if not annoying when she kept asking with each call if they were tying the knot yet. Her grumbling and irritation hilarious whenever they said no.

"Yup." And he was telling the truth.

Dagur relaxed and held out his hand, gripping Hiccup's hand when the auburn slipped it into his. "Had me worried there for a second."

"Maybe we'll have a different answer for her this time," Hiccup joked, smirking teasingly when Dagur began to sputter.

"What?!"

Hiccup was only kidding, of course, but Dagur didn't need to know that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crystal Ball by Styx
> 
> The Wolf by SIAMES
> 
> Skald is a Norse band that's really awesome and I think you guys should check them out. I love them.
> 
> Well, as always leave a kudo or comment and show the love. Tell your friends. Sad this is done. But I'm working on something else so don't be too sad. Love you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Drop a comment or kudo, show the love! I will be updating Mondays and Thursdays.


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